Moving Us Forward

This educational session will explore the extensive capabilities and significant potential of optical genome mapping (OGM) in rare diseases, cell and gene therapy (CGT), and hematologic oncology research. Featuring four distinguished speakers, the session will be highlighting their groundbreaking clinical research showcasing the advantages of OGM in advancing discovery in genomic analysis.  

Dr. Alexander Hoischen, Associate Professor at Radboud University Medical Center, will present findings from the Undiagnosed Disease Hackathon. They will explore the use of OGM in identifying variants related to rare and unresolved diseases, focusing on its unparalleled ability to detect structural variations often missed by conventional genomic technologies. The team’s comprehensive genomic analysis using OGM has revealed novel genetic variants that can interpret complex disease phenotypes.  

Dr. Nichole Owen, Clinical Director at Baylor Genetics researching both constitutional and oncology will discuss her lab’s discoveries using OGM in challenging postnatal cases. 

Dr. Catherine Brownstein, Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Research Associate at Boston Children’s Hospital, will discuss her work on the utility of OGM in both rare genetic disease research and cell and gene therapy (CGT). She will demonstrate how OGM’s comprehensive detection of genomic alterations meets an unmet need in assessment of genomic stability in CGT research. 

Finally, Dr. Wahab Khan, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Dartmouth Health, will share his clinical research on the application of OGM in leukemia. He will detail how OGM enables the identification of hallmark disease related variants important for the accurate assessment of cancer intensity. 

The session will conclude with a Q&A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Alex Hastie, VP of Clinical and Scientific Affairs at Bionano. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the speakers, explore the future of OGM in clinical research settings. 

Join this session to hear from a first user about their experience with the latest advancements in Bionano’s optical genome mapping (OGM) Stratysphere workflow, now enhanced with streamlined sample preparation and advanced structural variant (SV) databasing analysis. Dr. Alex Hastie, VP of Clinical and Scientific Affairs at Bionano, will kick off the session with an introduction to the Stratys™ workflow, providing an overview of its high-throughput OGM capabilities. Following this, Nikhil Sahajpal, PhD, FACMG, Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Fellow at Greenwood Genetic Center, will present data on the advantages and his experience implementing the Ionic® System, highlighting its role in automating sample preparation. The Ionic® System allowed his lab to process more samples with ease and accuracy, thanks to its proprietary isotachophoresis (ITP) technology for rapid and reliable DNA extraction. Dr. Hastie will then return to provide more detailed insights into the features of the Stratys™ workflow and the updated VIA™ 7.2 software, Bionano’s advanced data analysis tool. This version includes expanded capabilities for variant calling, annotation, and interpretation, enhanced guided assembly speeds, and a new SV databasing pipeline. You will learn about the expanded SV databasing capabilities and consistent performance across CNV, LOH, and SVs, with site-specific variant databases enhancing interpretation. Don’t miss this chance to explore how the Stratysphere workflow can elevate your lab’s capabilities and transform the future of cytogenomics.