Two studies published back to back in Nature have looked at the accumulation of mutations in blood-forming stem cells with age, gaining new insights into how the overall landscape of such cells changes across the lifespan. 

The world’s largest genomics study in patients with life-threatening COVID-19 infections has uncovered 16 new genetic variants associated with severe disease and drawn up a roadmap for research into new therapies and diagnostics. The research involved comparing the complete genome sequences of 7,491 patients admitted to 224 intensive care units in the U.K. against those of 48,400 participants in Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes project, and of a further 1,630 people who had mild COVID-19. While some of the gene variants found in the Genomicc study affect the function of a protein, others influence the amount of the protein that is expressed. An example is mucin-1, where overexpression led to worse outcomes.

Cancer diagnostics company Biofidelity Ltd. reported a $23 million series A+ investment round, led by Octopus Ventures with participation from SBI Investment Co. Ltd. and existing investors. Funds will be used for the commercial launch of the company’s first commercial assay Asypre-Lung. The oncology panel is designed to detect DNA mutations from tissue or liquid biopsy quicker than current approaches like gene sequencing.