Biosecurity

Concentric by Ginkgo and Illumina collaborate to deploy biosurveillance technologies around the world

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 15, 2024

BOSTON and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Concentric by Ginkgo, the biosecurity and public health unit of Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced that it has entered into a Co-Marketing Agreement with Illumina, Inc. (Nasdaq: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, to partner on expanding biosecurity capabilities globally.

Key Points: 
  • Illumina is a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets.
  • Illumina offers a range of leading next-generation sequencing instruments, consumables, and software to understand pathogens in ways not previously possible.
  • Together, Concentric and Illumina are working to help ensure that nations worldwide are equipped and empowered, locally and sustainably.
  • "Illumina is proud to partner with Concentric by Ginkgo to empower countries to protect the health of their citizens from infectious threats."

Ginkgo Bioworks and XWELL Implement Expanded CDC Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance Program to Test for More than 30 Known Pathogens

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

The partners continue to help the CDC grow TGS’s capabilities to detect pathogens as early as possible, allowing for the best public health response.

Key Points: 
  • The partners continue to help the CDC grow TGS’s capabilities to detect pathogens as early as possible, allowing for the best public health response.
  • The program expansion will launch at four of the program’s seven major international airports (New York, JFK, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington DC, Dulles).
  • The expansion will enable the program’s ability to monitor and change focus as needed to identify priority pathogens.
  • We thank the volunteers who elect to swab their noses in service to our national security and public health.”

Ginkgo Bioworks and XWELL Implement Expanded CDC Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance Program to Test for More than 30 Known Pathogens

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

BOSTON, Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and XWELL, Inc. (Nasdaq: XWEL) today announced they are expanding their work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program (TGS) to test for more than 30 additional priority pathogens, in addition to SARS-CoV-2. TGS is a flexible, multimodal platform that consists of three complementary approaches of sample collection from arriving international travelers at U.S. airports, including voluntary nasal swabbing, aircraft wastewater, and airport wastewater sampling to enhance early detection of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogens, and fills gaps in global surveillance.

Key Points: 
  • The partners continue to help the CDC grow TGS's capabilities to detect pathogens as early as possible, allowing for the best public health response.
  • The program expansion will launch at four of the program's seven major international airports (New York, JFK, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington DC, Dulles).
  • The TGS program can augment global surveillance systems, especially as testing and sequencing information become limited as Covid-19 monitoring wanes.
  • We thank the volunteers who elect to swab their noses in service to our national security and public health."

Concentric by Ginkgo Partners with Penn State University on Zoonotic Disease Biosurveillance Research Supported by USDA Grant

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 24, 2023

 BOSTON and UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced it is joining efforts with Penn State University to integrate its biosurveillance capabilities into the university's research of 58 wildlife species for SARS-CoV-2 to monitor potential spillover to humans. The initiative is supported by a cooperative agreement awarded to Penn State from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Key Points: 
  • The initiative is supported by a cooperative agreement awarded to Penn State from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
  • In partnering with Concentric by Ginkgo, the university will gain access to the biosurveillance research and analytics capabilities used by government institutions to help build more stable and robust biosecurity infrastructure.
  • "We are thrilled to collaborate with Penn State, a land-grant institution at the forefront of zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 biosurveillance, and we are proud to participate in the work USDA is doing to lead on biosecurity," said Matt McKnight, General Manager for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks.
  • The partners believe the research will provide data that can help support informed decision-making by public health officials.

Paving the Way for Advanced AI Biosecurity Screening for Australia's Agriculture Sector

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 4, 2023

The trial, aimed at safeguarding Australia's $90 billion agriculture sector from hitchhiker pests, has demonstrated its potential to identify potential biosecurity threats at the border.

Key Points: 
  • The trial, aimed at safeguarding Australia's $90 billion agriculture sector from hitchhiker pests, has demonstrated its potential to identify potential biosecurity threats at the border.
  • Australia’s agriculture sector faces constant threats from pests introduced through the country’s ports.
  • To address this challenge, the department commissioned Trellis Data to develop an AI-based surveillance system capable of scanning all incoming shipping containers.
  • This advancement promises to provide greater confidence in the biosecurity status of containers entering Australia, further safeguarding the country's vital agriculture sector.

Clear Comfort Introduces the CCW3200™ AOP Livestock Drinking Water Treatment System

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 3, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Clear Comfort unveiled the CCW3200, a revolutionary all-in-one livestock drinking water treatment solution that's powered by the industry-leading patented Hydroxyl-Based Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) sanitation. Built for biosecurity protection, the CCW3200 elevates animal health, growth and production of meat protein, dairy and eggs.

Key Points: 
  • Available Now, the CCW3200 Delivers Complete, Powerful All-in-One Water Treatment That's Built for Ease, Health and Profit
    LOUISVILLE, Colo., Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Clear Comfort unveiled the CCW3200, a revolutionary all-in-one livestock drinking water treatment solution that's powered by the industry-leading patented Hydroxyl-Based Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) sanitation.
  • The Clear Comfort AOP technology revolutionized water treatment by reducing the need for excessive use of toxic chemicals and energy costs – without compromising water quality or protection from chlorine-resistant illnesses.
  • Meet the All-New CCW3200 AOP System: An All-In-One Livestock Drinking Water Treatment Solution Tailored Exclusively for Meat Protein, Dairy, and Egg Farmers.
  • The CCW3200 AOP Livestock Drinking Water Treatment System is available for order now.

Concentric By Ginkgo and Texas A&M University Awarded USDA NIFA AFRI Grant to Conduct Genomic Animal Research to Prevent Zoonotic Disease Spillover

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 29, 2023

BOSTON and COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Sept. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and Texas A&M University today announced they have been jointly awarded a research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) via the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (NIFA AFRI) to study SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer populations in Texas.   

Key Points: 
  • This research is one of the first at-scale studies that will conduct widespread DNA sequencing of white-tailed deer in Texas.
  • White-tailed deer are a farmed animal species that have historically had high positivity rates of SARS-CoV-2 in wild populations throughout the United States.
  • Texas A&M will screen both historic and newly collected samples for the presence of the virus, which will then be sequenced and analyzed by Concentric.
  • "This data and research will provide governments, industry leaders, and academics the information they need to optimize behaviors and provide early warnings to help prevent disease spillover."

Ginkgo Bioworks and the Government of the Republic of Madagascar Announce Plans to Develop New Biosecurity Capabilities

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 25, 2023

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar and BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and the Government of the Republic of Madagascar today announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with the intent to develop and implement new biosecurity capabilities in Madagascar.

Key Points: 
  • ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar and BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and the Government of the Republic of Madagascar today announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with the intent to develop and implement new biosecurity capabilities in Madagascar.
  • Ginkgo's biosecurity unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, aims to support Madagascar's public health institutions with infrastructure and tools to bolster its biosecurity efforts against COVID-19 and other new or existing biological threats.
  • The partners plan to bolster biomonitoring capabilities across the African continent, to detect and respond to biological threats, following Concentric's announced partnerships with Botswana , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and Rwanda .
  • "We look forward to our work with the Republic of Madagascar as we share a commitment to bolstering biosecurity in the country and throughout the region," said Matt McKnight, General Manager, Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks.

Concentric by Ginkgo and CGIAR International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) announce collaboration on pathogen surveillance

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 24, 2023

BOSTON and NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), which is building the leading horizontal platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a leading organization on One Health approaches, today announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the intent to collaborate on pandemic surveillance work.

Key Points: 
  • The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a global research partnership for a food-secure future dedicated to transforming food, land, and water systems in the climate crisis.
  • Through its ILRI research institute, CGIAR works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries while ensuring better lives through livestock cultivation.
  • ILRI plans to work closely with Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, to identify and mitigate pathogens and diseases that originate in animals and livestock.
  • "ILRI plays a pivotal role in pathogen surveillance, employing a One Health approach in collaboration with a wide range of partners.

Ginkgo Bioworks and the Government of the Republic of Panama Announce Plans to Establish New Biosecurity Capabilities

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 3, 2023

These efforts will bolster Panama's biosecurity infrastructure, giving the country key tools to detect, identify, and monitor current and future pathogens.

Key Points: 
  • These efforts will bolster Panama's biosecurity infrastructure, giving the country key tools to detect, identify, and monitor current and future pathogens.
  • The program is expected to operate in strategic locations that can help bolster both national and regional public health and security throughout Panama.
  • "We're honored to collaborate with the Republic of Panama to strengthen the region's health security capabilities through pathogen threat detection in Panama City and the Darien region," said Matt McKnight, General Manager, Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks.
  • We are excited to collaborate with Concentric on these important biosecurity programs," said Dr. Juan Miguel Pascale, General Director of Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies.