Nucleome Therapeutics (“Nucleome”), a biotechnology company decoding the dark matter of the human genome to uncover novel ways to treat disease, today announces the publication of a novel 3D genome analysis method, marking a significant advancement in the field, in the journal Nature. The method, called Micro Capture-C (MCC), was invented in the laboratories of Nucleome’s academic founders at the University of Oxford, and maps the 3D genome structure at unprecedented single base pair resolution. The MCC technology has been exclusively licensed to Nucleome.

Commenting on the announcement, Prof James Davies, Academic Co-Founder of Nucleome and Associated Professor at the University of Oxford, said: “Previous methods of determining the large-scale 3D genome structure within cells have been unable to resolve it much below 500-1000 base pairs. Our new method offers a significant advantage by detecting DNA interactions at base pair resolution. This is likely to transform the way we understand how the genome functions, and thus has real potential to make a significant impact on human health.”

Dr Danuta Jeziorska, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Nucleome, added: “3D genome analysis is key to understanding the largely untapped dark matter of the genome. Better resolution of 3D genome maps improves the accuracy and confidence of linking disease-relevant genetic changes to genes. The unprecedented improvement offered by MCC, moving from 100s of base pairs to single base pair precision, gives Nucleome’s innovative platform a strong competitive advantage in the discovery and development of novel, better and safer drugs.”

“Nature is recognised as one of the most prestigious and high-ranking peer-reviewed journals in the scientific world, publishing breakthrough discoveries and inventions with transformative potential,” commented Prof Jim Hughes, Academic Co-Founder of Nucleome and Professor of Gene Regulation at the University of Oxford. “This publication therefore recognises the significant technical advances that MCC offers and provides multiple new insights into how the genome functions.”

The full paper, ‘Defining genome architecture at base pair resolution’, can be found here.

Nucleome Therapeutics is decoding the dark matter of the human genome to uncover novel ways to treat disease. The dark genome holds more than 95% of disease-linked genetic variants whose value remains untapped, representing a significant opportunity for drug discovery and development. We have the unique ability to link these variants to gene function and map disease pathways. Our cell type-specific platform creates high resolution 3D genome structure maps and enables variant functional validation at scale in primary cell types. This enables us to discover and develop novel, better and safer drugs. The initial focus of the company is on lymphocytes and related autoimmune disease. Our ambition is to build a robust pipeline of drug assets, with corresponding biomarkers. Nucleome Therapeutics was founded by leading experts in gene regulation from the University of Oxford and backed by investment from Oxford Sciences Innovation. For more information, please visit www.nucleome.com.