Bionano Announces 2023 Winners of its Innovator Research Grant Program

• Grand prize winner, Dr. Michael Khodadoust at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, will use the Saphyr® system for research into CTCL (cutaneous t-cell lymphoma)
  
• Runner up prize winners are Dr. Afia Hasnain at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, who will investigate ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) samples using Children’s Oncology Group protocols, and Dr. Stefan Rentas at Duke University in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, who will study brain tumors and lymphomas
• An additional 12 prize winners across Europe, the United States, South America and Southeast Asia were awarded complimentary laboratory services
• 190+ grant submissions were received from 46 countries
• Submissions focused on a variety of applications including genetic disease, cancer, reproductive health, cell and gene therapy, and plant and animal research
  

SAN DIEGO, June 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionano Genomics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNGO) announced the 2023 winners of its Innovator Research Grant program, including grand prize winner Dr. Michael Khodadoust at Stanford University. Runner up prize winners are The Hospital for Sick Children, whose project will be led by Dr. Afia Hasnain and Duke University, whose project will be led by Dr. Stefan Rentas. All three winners will receive use of a Saphyr system for a period of time and optical genome mapping (OGM) reagents to conduct their project. Additionally, 12 other winners from around the world have been awarded complimentary OGM services from Bionano Laboratories.

Bionano’s Innovator Research program was established to fuel novel research using the company’s OGM products to detect relevant structural variants (SVs), demonstrating OGM’s potential to advance discoveries and innovation in ways that may elevate health and wellness for all people. There were over 190 grant applications submitted from 46 countries covering research topics including cancer (72 applications encompassing hematological malignancies, multiple cancer types and solid tumors), genetic disease (64), reproductive health (16), complex diseases (13), cell and gene therapy (7), plant and animal research (3), infectious diseases (1) and other areas (15).

Dr. Khodadoust at Stanford University, along with postdoctoral researchers Dr. Nicolas Bastidas and Dr. Safa Najidh, will use the Saphyr system to conduct research on CTCL (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma), which is a group of rare and aggressive extra-nodal lymphomas. The researchers plan to utilize OGM to detect SVs that may influence potential treatment options and to assess the utility of SVs as biomarkers to predict and monitor response to therapies.

Dr. Stefan Rentas at Duke University plans to leverage clinical and research bio-banking initiatives in the university’s department of pathology to perform OGM on fresh-frozen CNS (central nervous system) tumor and lymphoma samples to improve research into the detection of clinically significant somatic variants that might impact treatment and prognosis.

Dr. Afia Hasnain at The Hospital for Sick Children will use the Saphyr system for a proof-of-concept study to explore the technical capabilities of OGM compared with traditional cytogenetic methods for research into ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) using samples from subjects enrolled in Children’s Oncology Group research protocols, as well as other lymphoma and brain tumor samples.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to leverage the Saphyr system to explore drug-resistance in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.  We believe that structural variants represent the key actionable events in the evolution of this lymphoma.  Our sensitivity to detect key structural variants using next-generation sequencing methods has been a limiting factor in our work. The Bionano Innovator Research Grant will enable us to resolve structural variants as they arise during treatment and to determine their role in drug resistance. We hope this work will lead to a better understanding of how to match patients with therapies most likely to benefit them and will inform new strategies to maximize our current treatment options,” stated Dr. Khodadoust.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of submissions and the global scope of the interest in OGM,” commented Erik Holmlin, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Bionano. “All of the submissions were incredibly innovative and scientifically compelling. Selecting the winners was a tough and exhausting task for our review committee. The Bionano Innovator Research Grant program was established to attract applicants with projects that demonstrate exemplary vision and creativity in leveraging OGM and genomic technologies to tackle complex challenges. The winning projects exemplify these qualities, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in genomics research and its potential to impact clinical practice.”

About Bionano

Bionano is a provider of genome analysis solutions that can enable researchers and clinicians to reveal answers to challenging questions in biology and medicine. The Company’s mission is to transform the way the world sees the genome through OGM solutions, diagnostic services and software. The Company offers OGM solutions for applications across basic, translational and clinical research. Through its Lineagen, Inc. d/b/a Bionano Laboratories business, the Company also provides diagnostic testing for patients with clinical presentations consistent with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. The Company also offers an industry-leading, platform-agnostic software solution, which integrates next-generation sequencing and microarray data designed to provide analysis, visualization, interpretation and reporting of copy number variants, single-nucleotide variants and absence of heterozygosity across the genome in one consolidated view. The Company additionally offers nucleic acid extraction and purification solutions using proprietary isotachophoresis (ITP) technology. For more information, visit www.bionano.com, www.bionanolaboratories.com or www.purigenbio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements of Bionano

This press release contains forward-looking statements contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “believe,” “may,” “might,” “potential,” “will,” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances and the negatives thereof) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: the performance of OGM compared to traditional cytogenetic methods including; the utility of OGM in disease research and in the detection of SVs; the potential ability and utility of OGM to detect SVs that may impact therapy or treatment options; the ability and utility of OGM to detect SVs in CTCL, ALL, other lymphomas, or brain tumors; and other statements that are not historical facts.

Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, such as past and potential bank failures, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and related sanctions, on our business and the global economy; challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing and commercializing products; our ability to further deploy new products and applications and expand the markets for our technology platforms; failure of our OGM solutions to be adopted for analysis of CTCL, ALL, other lymphomas, and brain tumors samples; the failure of OGM when compared to traditional cytogenetic methods; our expectations and beliefs regarding future growth of the business and the markets in which we operate; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; and including the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and in other filings subsequently made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date they are made to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date the statements are made. Moreover, except as required by law, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

CONTACTS

Company Contact:
Erik Holmlin, CEO
Bionano Genomics, Inc.
+1 (858) 888-7610
eholmlin@bionano.com

Investor Relations:
David Holmes
Gilmartin Group
+1 (858) 888-7625
IR@bionano.com