Logo-OHMX.bio

Cell and gene therapy:
Precision characterization for advanced biologics

The transformative potential of Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) hinges on the meticulous characterization and quality control of advanced biologics. At OHMX.bio, we provide a comprehensive suite of expertise to accelerate your CGT development, ensuring the safety, efficacy, and consistency of your therapeutic products. Leveraging cutting-edge sequencing solutions and advanced bioinformatics, we empower researchers and clinicians with unparalleled insights into their cell lines, viral vectors, and mRNA constructs.
Contact our experts

Navigating the complexities of cell and gene therapy with OHMX.bio

The landscape of biologics, from engineered cell lines to viral vectors and mRNA constructs, demands rigorous quality control at every stage of development and manufacturing. Traditional QC methods often fall short in providing the precise, in-depth genetic and epigenetic insights required for these complex therapeutics. OHMX.bio bridges this gap by applying state-of-the-art sequencing, particularly Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing, as a central tool for the quality control of biologics. This platform allows for complete and highly accurate sequence analysis of complex biological products, including mRNA constructs, plasmids, viral genomes, and engineered cell lines. Long-read sequencing enables the direct detection of full-length molecules, structural variants, and epigenetic modifications in a single run, providing deeper insights than conventional short-read or PCR-based methods.
Contact our experts
Check our publications

Core expertise in cell line characterization

Ensuring the genomic integrity of engineered cell lines is a fundamental step in the development of biologics. OHMX.bio specializes in applying long-read sequencing to provide the most comprehensive and accurate picture of cell line quality. Our approach allows for the full characterization of engineered modifications, detection of unintended edits, and precise mapping of insertions or transgenes.
Our approach allows for:

Detection of full-length insertions and their exact genomic locations

Traditional short-read methods often miss large structural variations or cannot resolve full insertion sequences. By contrast, OHMX.bio uses Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing to directly read entire constructs and flanking genomic regions. This enables the detection of full-length insertions and their exact genomic locations.

Identification of rearrangements, duplications, or deletions

This level of detail is crucial for confirming the identity, purity, and stability of production cell lines used in biologics manufacturing.

Verification of on-target vs. off-target integration

Genomic profiling enables researchers to identify genetic variations, structural changes, and mutations that underpin disease mechanisms. The same profiling techniques can be used to validate genetic edits in cell and gene therapy applications, ensuring their safety and efficacy.

Confirmation of engineered regions and monitoring of genetic drift over time

OHMX.bio’s workflows include dedicated protocols for sample preparation and sequencing of various cell types, including CHO, HEK293, and other mammalian or even plant-derived systems. Our platform provides end-to-end insight into the confirmation of engineered regions, detection of residual plasmid sequences, and monitoring of genetic drift over time.

All sequencing outputs are processed through OHMX.bio’s validated bioinformatics pipelines, ensuring accurate variant calling, insertion mapping, and structural analysis. Our team delivers publication-ready reports and works with clients to interpret complex data in the context of quality control. This makes our service ideal for both early development and late-phase validation of engineered cell lines.
Contact our experts
OHMX.bio - Innovative omics solutions
OHMX.bio_Innovative omics solutions

Case study: Precise transfected cell line
QC with long-read sequencing

A critical challenge in cell and gene therapy is the accurate characterization of gene insertions within transfected cell lines. Traditional methods often provide limited information on insertion sites and the complete structure of the inserted genetic material.

In a real-world case study, OHMX.bio demonstrated the power of long-read sequencing for the quality control of a transfected human cell line where a custom reporter block was introduced at unknown genomic locations. Despite the exact structure of the reporter block being initially unknown, beyond the promoter sequence and the presence of a reporter gene and transcriptional response elements, OHMX.bio’s approach provided a comprehensive solution.

Libraries were prepared from the modified human cells and sequenced on a PromethION R10.4.1 flow cell, yielding an overall genome coverage of around 52X, sufficient for consensus sequence determination. By performing structural variant calling and filtering for homology with the known promoter sequence, a rough assembly of the reporter block could be constructed.

The key advantage of long-read sequencing in this study was its ability to cover the full reporter block and capture extensive information about the neighboring genomic regions where the reporter block was inserted. This enabled the precise determination of 13 distinct genomic insertion events at a base-specific level. This number of insertions was further confirmed by calculating the ratio between the read coverage over the reporter and the overall genome coverage.

Furthermore, the long reads allowed the assembly of a detailed nucleotide sequence of the reporter block itself. This facilitated the determination of the exact number of transcriptional response elements, the specific type of reporter gene, and the precise location of all these elements within the reporter block. This case study highlights how OHMX.bio’s custom in-house developed pipeline, combined with long-read sequencing, provides accurate localization of integration sites and reveals the full reporter sequence structure, addressing crucial quality control questions in cell line characterization.
Contact our experts

Partner with OHMX.bio for your cell and gene therapy needs

OHMX.bio combines deep scientific expertise with cutting-edge long-read sequencing technology to deliver actionable insights for your cell and gene therapy programs. Our commitment to scientific rigor, personalized collaboration, and fast turnaround times ensures that you receive the highest quality insights precisely when you need them.

From initial cell line engineering to preclinical and clinical use, OHMX.bio brings years of sequencing and analytical experience to support your QC strategy. Contact us today to discuss how our expertise in cell line characterization and broader Cell and Gene Therapy solutions can support your breakthrough research and development.
OHMX.bio_Innovative omics solutions_Tailored Personal Approach

Let’s get in touch!

Are you curious about how we can work on your -omics challenges together? Fill out the form below!
Our experts will reply within 2 working days to freely discuss your omics project.

Our publications using our cell en gene therapies

  1.  
Logo-OHMX.bio
Your partner for innovative OMICS solutions.
Linkedin Google
OHMX.bio is part of
the anacura group.

TESTING SERVICES

EXPERTISE

OHMX.bio

CONTACT

  • Belgium
    Noorwegenstraat 4
    9940 Evergem
  • Switzerland
    Phenyl - 2nd floor, Route de la Corniche 3, 1066 Epalinges
Oxford Nanopore Service Certified
logo-cir
Registered supplier logo_Scientist.com
Logo-OHMX.bio
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Cookie statement

Last updated:  19-09-2024

This cookie statement is drafted and managed by OHMX.bio NV,

hereafter referred to as “OHMX.bio”.

OHMX.bio has its headquarters at Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Gent, Belgium, registered with company number XXX.

For all questions and/or remarks, please contact us at the address mentioned above or at the e-mail address privacy@ohmx.bio.

USE OF COOKIES

 

OHMX.bio considers it important that you can view, listen to, read or experience our website content at any place and at any time via various media platforms. We want you to be able to use interactive features and provide services tailored to your needs. Therefore OHMX.BIO uses online techniques like cookies, scripts and similar technologies (hereafter referred to as ‘cookies’). These help us facilitate the use of the website and improve its functionality, by collecting (personal) data of our website visitors via their website usage.

 

In this cookie statement, OHMX.bio wishes to inform you what kind of cookies are used and why.

OHMX.bio can amend the cookie statement at any time. This can happen, for example, in the context of changes to its services or the applicable legislation. The amended statement will then be published on the OHMX.bio websites and will apply from the moment it is published.

 

If the use of certain cookies also involves the processing of “personal data”, the OHMX.bio Privacy Statement is also applicable.

 

WHAT ARE COOKIES?

 

A cookie is a small data file that is installed in the browser of your computer or mobile device by a website's server or application when you visit a website or use a (mobile) application.

The cookie file contains a unique code with which your browser can be recognized during the visit to the online service or during consecutive, repeated visits. They generally make the interaction between the visitor and the website or application easier and faster and help the visitor to navigate between the different parts of a website or application. They allow us to retain certain settings, such as your language choice or to optimize your user experience.

 

There are different types of cookies that can be distinguished according to their origin, function and lifespan. This is explained further in the next section.

TYPES OF COOKIES

How long are cookies stored?

Cookies can be stored on your computer or mobile device for different periods of time. Depending on the type, they (and the information they collect) are automatically deleted when you close your browser (these are the so-called “session cookies”), in other cases, these remain stored for a longer period of time and can also be used during a subsequent visit to this website (these are the so-called “permanent cookies”).

Consult the detailed information on OHMX.bio cookies (below) to know the retention periods.

Who places and manages cookies?

First-party cookies

First-party cookies are managed by OHMX.bio and are specific to the visited or used online service.

Third party cookies

Third party cookies are managed and placed by a third party. This happens during your visit or use of the website. These ensure that certain information is sent to third parties by your visit to the website.

Why cookies?

Necessary cookies

Necessary or essential cookies are necessary for the operation of the website. It is therefore advised not to disable these.

Functional cookies

These are cookies that ensure that the website functions properly. Examples of some functions performed:

- remembering your login details

- ensuring the security of your login details

- ensuring the uniformity of the layout of the website

Performance and analysis cookies

On the basis of these cookies, information is collected about the way visitors use our website. This is done with the intention to improve the content of our websites, to further adapt it to the wishes of the visitors and to increase the usability of our websites. Like for example google analytics.

Social media cookies

The website can implement so-called embedded elements of other third parties, such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. These are used to integrate social media into the website via plug-ins.

Other cookies

These are cookies that do not belong to one of the above categories. For example, cookies that can be used to make web analyzes themselves to optimize the website. In addition to the above-mentioned performance and analysis cookies, other web analysis cookies can be used. These will probably have to be disabled because identifiable personal data may be processed here. This is not the case with the mentioned performance analysis cookies.

OHMX.bio  uses different types of cookies.

 

Cookie Description Duration Type
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 1 hour Necessary
__utma This cookie is set by Google Analytics and is used to distinguish users and sessions. The cookie is created when the JavaScript library executes and there are no existing __utma cookies. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. 2 years Performance
__utmc The cookie is set by Google Analytics and is deleted when the user closes the browser. The cookie is not used by ga.js. The cookie is used to enable interoperability with urchin.js which is an older version of Google analytics and used in conjunction with the __utmb cookie to determine new sessions/visits. Performance
__utmz This cookie is set by Google analytics and is used to store the traffic source or campaign through which the visitor reached your site. 5 months Performance
__utmt The cookie is set by Google Analytics and is used to throttle request rate. 10 minutes Performance
__utmb The cookie is set by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to determine new sessions/visits. The cookie is created when the JavaScript library executes and there are no existing __utma cookies. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics. 30 minutes Performance

 

HOW CAN YOU TURN OFF COOKIES?

 

If you choose to disable cookies, you can do so for the browser you use:

 

If you use different devices to visit this website, make sure that your cookie preferences are set on the browser of every device.

 

Please note that disabling certain cookies may result in the malfunction of related features on the website e.g. certain graphics may not show the way they are meant to, or you may not be able to use certain services.

CHANGES TO THIS COOKIE STATEMENT

OHMX.BIO may amend this Cookie Statement in accordance with certain technical, legal or commercial requirements and developments. We will inform you accordingly, taking into account the importance of the changes that have been made. You may find the date on which this Cookie Statement was last modified at the top of this Cookie Statement.