Tagomics

Epigenetic (chemical) modifications to our DNA provide a second layer of information, in addition to the genetic code, which is more dynamic and sensitive to lifestyle factors, the environment and disease. Epigenetic changes are being increasingly adopted as biological markers (biomarkers) for early detection. For example, the methylation profile of circulating cell free DNA (cfDNA) can be analysed and used to discover novel DNA based methylation biomarkers. However, analysing cfDNA is challenging because it is present in very low amounts (<10ng per standard blood draw) is heavily damaged, and the current approaches have limited compatibility with these uniquely challenging cfDNA samples. Tagomics has developed an innovative solution for high throughput and cost-effective epigenetic biomarker discovery. Their proprietary enzymatic chemistry allows for highly accurate and simultaneous sequencing of epigenetic modifications, genetic mutations, fragmentomics and other valuable diagnostic insights. The company’s first product is a liquid biopsy assay for the early detection of colorectal and other common cancers. Start Codon spun out Tagomics from the University of Birmingham and were joined in this process by initial co-investors, IQ Capital Partners.