Current technologies for gene expression profiling by massive parallel RNA sequencing provide insight into relative abundance of RNA molecules but fail to resolve the underlying principles in gene regulation that are reflected in the intracellular kinetics of RNA biogenesis, processing and turnover. To overcome these limitations, we have developed SLAMseq, a time-resolved RNA sequencing technology that provides unprecedented insights into the intracellular kinetics of gene expression in a rapid, scalable and cost-effective manner.
The goal of the ERC Proof-of-Concept grant 'SLAMseq' was to validate the broader applicability of SLAMseq in order to establish a new commercial standard for a vast array of RNA-based gene expression analyses and empower novel approaches for drug-discovery and -development in biomedical research.
By combining SLAMseq with targeted RNA sequencing strategies, we were able to showcase the potential of SLAMseq to provide unprecedented insights into the life-cycle of RNA species. This was exemplified by a proof-of-concept study that unraveled the molecular principles of small RNA homeostasis. Hence, our work further contributed to the scope of a patent application for metabolic RNA sequencing (EP3589748), that was licensed to Lexogen GmbH for the commercialization and world-wide distribution of the SLAMseq technology in the form of a research kit (
https://www.lexogen.com/slamseq-metabolic-rna-labeling/(opens in new window)).
This ERC PoC grant also supported the foundation of QUANTRO Therapeutics GmbH (
https://quantro-tx.com(opens in new window)) , a research-based spin-off company that combines time resolved transcriptomics with functional genetics to establish an unprecedented cancer drug discovery pipeline that will transform the precision and scope of cell-based compound screens. QUANTRO Therapeutics recently secured seed financing from Boehringer-Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) and Evotec. Currently QUANTRO Therapeutics expands its research team in the newly founded Start-up incubator at the Vienna Biocenter.
