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Kanazawa University research: Chromatin Accessibility: A new avenue for gene editing

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KANAZAWA, Japan, Feb. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In a study recently published in Nature Genetics, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University explore chromatin accessibility, i.e., endogenous access pathways to the genomic DNA, and its use as a tool for gene editing.

Our DNA is protected from unwanted external modifications by forming structures called nucleosomes that consist of threads of DNA wound around chunks of special proteins known as histones. This unique coiled shape prevents the access of undesirable molecules to a cell’s DNA. However, for vital genetic functions—such as DNA repair—the right set of proteins require access to these DNA fragments. This phenomenon known as ‘chromatin accessibility’ involves a privileged set of protein molecules, many of which are still unknown.

Now, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, led by Yusuke Miyanari, have used advanced genetic screening methods to unravel chromatin accessibility and its pathways.

For the investigation the team used a combination of two technologies—CRISPR screening and ATAC-see. While the former is a method to suppress the function of a desired set of genes, the latter is a means to identify which ones are essential for chromatin accessibility. Thus, using this method all genes playing a crucial role in chromatin accessibility could be pinned down.

With the help of these assays, novel pathways and individual players involved in chromatin accessibility were uncovered—some playing a positive role and some negative. Of these, one particular protein, TFDP1, showed a negative effect on chromatin accessibility. When it was suppressed, a significant increase in chromatin accessibility was observed, accompanied by nucleosome reduction. A deeper dive into the mechanism of TFDP1 revealed that it functions by regulating the genes responsible for production of certain histone proteins.

The team then focused their study towards exploring biotechnological applications of their findings. After suppressing TFDP1, two different approaches were tried. The first approach involved gene editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 tool. This revealed that deletion of TFDP1 made the gene editing process easier. Now, most chromatin accessibility occurs in nucleosome-depleted regions or NDRs. However, by suppressing TFDP1 chromatin accessibility occurred not only in NDRs but across other regions as well. Secondly, the depletion of TFDP1 aided the process of converting regular cells into stem cells, a massive step forward in cellular transformation.

This study identified new chromatin accessibility pathways and channels for exploring its potential even further. “Our study shows the significant potential to manipulate chromatin accessibility as a novel strategy to enhance DNA-templated biological applications, including genome editing and cellular reprogramming,” conclude the researchers.

Background

CRISPR screening: CRISPR screening is a large-scale tool used to find genes involved in a particular function. In this method, genes from the entire genome can be deleted one at a time to investigate which ones play a role in any target pathway. The mechanisms and roles of the genes narrowed down are then understood further using biological assays. In this study the genes identified by CRISPR screening were subjected to ATAC-see to confirm their involvement with chromatin accessibility.

ATAC-see: Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with visualization (ATAC-see) is a technique whereby accessible DNA locations can be visualized and quantified. ATAC-see involves using an enzyme to insert fluorescent proteins into the DNA at accessible sites. This technique works within nucleosome-depleted regions but also beyond these regions. Hence, when such sites were visualized after running CRISPR screening, the researchers could understand which genes were affecting chromatin accessibility directly.

Reference

Satoko Ishii, Taishi Kakizuka, Sung-Joon Park, Ayako Tagawa, Chiaki Sanbo, Hideyuki Tanabe, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Mahito Nakanishi, Kenta Nakai, Yusuke Miyanari. Genome-wide ATAC-see screening identifies TFDP1 as a modulator of global chromatin accessibility. Nature Genetics, 2024. Published Feb 15, 2024

DOI :10.1038/s41588-024-01658-1

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01658-1

Related figures

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/Fig.-1-1.png

Figure 1. a. Screening results of the players involved in chromatin accessibility analyzed by ATAC-see.

b. Successful reprogramming to stem cells (indicated by presence of TRA-1-60) after depletion of TFDP1 (right).

© 2024 Ishii, et al., Nature Genetics

Contact
Hiroe Yoneda
Senior Specialist in Project Planning and Outreach
NanoLSI Administration OfficeNano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)
Kanazawa University
Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Tel: +81 (76) 234-4555

About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University

Understanding nanoscale mechanisms of life phenomena by exploring “uncharted nano-realms.”

Cells are the basic units of almost all life forms. We are developing nanoprobe technologies that allow direct imaging, analysis, and manipulation of the behavior and dynamics of important macromolecules in living organisms, such as proteins and nucleic acids, at the surface and interior of cells. We aim at acquiring a fundamental understanding of the various life phenomena at the nanoscale.

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)

The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI

Main WPI program site:  www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel

About Kanazawa University

As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.

The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa – a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.

http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/

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Schematic Raises $4.8M in Funding For the Last Mile of Pricing and Packaging For SaaS Companies

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Schematic is transforming pricing and packaging for B2B SaaS companies, allowing product and engineering teams to implement flexible models with minimal maintenance. By eliminating fragmented, homegrown systems, Schematic helps businesses adapt to modern buying preferences and maximize revenue. Now publicly available, the platform includes embeddable UI components and integrates deeply with Stripe. Backed by $4.8M in seed funding, Schematic offers a streamlined solution for managing the full pricing and packaging lifecycle.

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Schematic is transforming pricing and packaging for B2B SaaS companies by getting product and engineering teams out of billing projects. With just a few lines of code, businesses can implement pricing and packaging into any application, bridging the gap between outdated, inflexible billing tools and the demands of modern software businesses.

“Maintaining pricing and packaging has been messy for product and engineering teams. Tools exist for finance, but none bridge the gap to support feature fulfillment and user experience. Schematic fills that gap, offering control and transparency from rollout to revenue,” said Fynn Glover, CEO

The company announced today that it is now available to the public after a year in development with a select set of beta customers, and that it is launching Components – embeddable UI elements for purchasing experiences – and a deep integration with Stripe providing a full stack solution for pricing and packaging.

The current pricing and packaging landscape is dominated by fragmented systems and frankenstein implementations. Schematic surveyed 100s of product and engineering leaders and found that their homegrown systems and processes weren’t built for flexibility or to support modern buying preferences such as metering and modular packaging. Consistently, teams struggled to adequately resource pricing and packaging initiatives and, as a result, left significant money on the table.

“Historically, maintaining pricing and packaging for product and engineering teams has been a mess. The market has tools for finance teams in spades, but none that bridge the gap to the application to support feature fulfillment, the end user experience, and internal tools, so we end up building them from scratch. We built Schematic to address that gap, and our product allows businesses to handle the entire lifecycle of a feature from rollout to revenue, offering best-in-class control and transparency to end users out of the box,” said Fynn Glover, CEO of Schematic.

The company wants to eliminate the need for businesses to reinvent the wheel to support pricing and packaging in applications. Schematic offers the flexibility to launch, package, meter, and monitor features from one place, without the tax of architecting and maintaining homegrown systems.

Pricing and packaging sits within a $30B market that includes the tools to license, fulfill, and bill end customers. It faces significant challenges due to the consumerization of B2B SaaS that has led to evolving buying preferences and expectations, pressure on back office operations, and legacy tools that are difficult to implement, costly, and do not integrate well with modern tools and applications. This has led to fragmented, homegrown systems and processes that divert resources to maintain and delay growth initiatives.

Schematic believes that an integrated platform, rather than disconnected tools and processes, should support customers from purchase to feature delivery and the operators tasked with supporting them. The launch of Components extends Schematic’s value proposition with embeddable UI elements that deliver best-in-class purchasing experiences to SaaS customers.

Schematic’s co-founders Jasdeep Garcha, Benjamin Papillon, Giovanni Hobbins, and Fynn Glover are seasoned entrepreneurs with experience on many sides of this problem having most recently led Operations, Product, Growth, and Engineering functions at Automox, Twilio, and Relay Payments. They have previously built successful startups and bring their expertise to Schematic to address the evolving needs of B2B SaaS companies.

The company is launching with $4.8M in seed funding led by MHS Capital with participation from NextView Ventures, Active Capital, Atlanta Ventures, and the founders of LaunchDarkly, Salesloft, Salesforce Pardot, and Crowdstrike.

“The decision to back Schematic was easy, given the clear market need and the team’s proven track record. Schematic is poised for rapid growth by providing an integrated solution for SaaS pricing and packaging,” said Vijay Naggapan, partner with MHS Capital.

Schematic’s platform allows businesses to outsource pricing and packaging with a few lines of code, enabling them to quickly launch new packaging models, take the burden off of engineering almost entirely, and flexibly adjust their pricing and packaging to individual customer preferences. The product has been in beta for a year with customers ranging from early-stage startups to growth-stage scale-ups, all benefiting from the flexibility and control it provides.

“There should be a standard for how digital businesses operate pricing and packaging. Schematic provides that standard, eliminating fragmented systems that frustrate teams and slow down businesses,” said Fynn.

“Schematic has allowed us to manage entitlements and metering with ease, setting us up in just a few days,” said Daniel Chalef, CEO of Zep, an early-stage SaaS company that replaced manual processes with Schematic’s automation. By implementing Schematic Zep has adapted to customer demands for new offerings easily without major engineering investments.

Learn more about Schematic. The product is free for early stage businesses.

Media Contact

Jasdeep Garcha, Schematic, 1 9192158521, jasdeep@schematichq.com, https://schematichq.com/

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SOURCE Schematic

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Edifier Announces Opening of SoundStudio Showroom in New York

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Edifier, a leading audio brand, is thrilled to introduce its cutting-edge audio products to the American market with a pop-up showroom, allowing customers to explore and experience the latest innovations in audio technology firsthand.

RICHMOND, BC, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Edifier, the renowned audio brand, is set to open its SOUNDSTUDIO pop-up showroom in New York City from September 21 to September 28, 2024. Located at 545 W 23rd St, New York, the event will showcase Edifier’s flagship products, offering attendees a unique opportunity to experience top-tier audio equipment.

Visitors will have a chance to explore a wide range of Edifier products, including Planar Magnetic Headphones (STAX SPIRIT S10, S5, S3), Earbuds (NeoDots, NeoBuds Pro 2), Over-ear Headphones (WH950NB, W830NB, W800BT Pro), Table Speakers (D32, D12, MP230), 2.0 Speakers (R1280DB, S1000W, S3000MKII), and the Q Series Speakers (QR65, QD35, QS30). This carefully curated lineup is designed to cater to different audio preferences, from high-fidelity listening to immersive soundscapes.

Edifier is hosting this event to highlight its audio products and further solidify its position as a leader in the American audio market, offering attendees the chance to engage with the brand, share their “Passion for Sound,” and be among the first to experience the brand’s innovative audio solutions.

The showroom will feature Edifier’s latest state-of-the-art speakers and headphones in a stylish studio space, allowing visitors to experience their performance and design in real-life settings. This immersive environment will enable the American public to appreciate Edifier’s meticulous attention to audio quality and design, while fostering a friendly atmosphere for social gatherings and hands-on testing of the Edifier audio range.

The event will include special appearances from NBA, NFL, and AFL stars, including Edifier W830NB ambassadors Jared McCain (Philadelphia 76ers) and Donte DiVincenzo (New York Knicks), Tyrod Taylor (New York Jets) and Tyler Nubin (New York Giants). Attendees will have the opportunity to see how Edifier’s W830NB headphones play a vital role in keeping these sports stars connected to their passion for sound.

Attendees will not only have the chance to experience Edifier’s cutting-edge products but will also be treated to exclusive giveaways. Prizes include W800BT Plus headphones, W320TN earbuds, MP100 Plus speakers, NeoBuds Pro 2, W830NB headphones, and the Comfo Run series.

Frank He, Marketing Director at Edifier, stated “Edifier are delighted to be holding this event in New York. The event is crucial for showcasing the company’s leading products and innovative technology. The presence of the AFL, NFL and NBA stars discussing their use of the Edifier W830NB headphones reinforces Edifier’s status as a top contender in the consumer audio market.”

There are many surprises to explore throughout the week! Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to meet your favorite athletes and experience EDIFIER’s cutting-edge audio technology firsthand. More highlights and sidelights will be detailed on the Edifier global Instagram account (@edifier_global).

Full Event Schedule:

Sep 21st: Kick off the week with our Grand Opening, featuring electrifying beats by DJ Leisan Valieva.Sept 22nd: Get close with Tyrod Taylor of the New York Jets at an exclusive Meet and Greet.Sept 23rd: Get close with Tyler Nubin of the New York Giants at an exclusive Meet and Greet.Sept 24th: Join us for an incredible appearance with Jared McCain of the 76ers and Donte DiVincenzo of the New York Knicks!

About Edifier:

Edifier specializes in the design and manufacture of premium audio solutions that showcase technological innovation and design excellence. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Beijing, China, Edifier delivers outstanding sound experience through a wide range of audio systems for personal entertainment and professional use. Renowned for its award-winning design philosophy, expertise and innovation in acoustic technology, and superior manufacturing standards, Edifier is one of today’s leading innovators of audio electronics.  

More information about Edifier is available online at www.edifier.com/global

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SOURCE Edifier

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Volar Air Mobility and Exim Finance Partner to Pioneer Green Financing Solutions for Sustainable Aviation

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MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Volar Air Mobility has formed a strategic partnership with Exim Finance to accelerate the commercialization of electric aircraft. This collaboration, formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), focuses on developing innovative green financing solutions to support sustainable aviation globally.

The partnership centers around Volar’s RX-series Electric Aircraft, including the RX4E, the world’s first four-seater electric plane expected to receive commercial approval. Together, Volar and Exim Finance will create financial models that include green financing options and carbon credit offsets, making eco-friendly aircraft more accessible.

Key highlights of the collaboration include:

Development of sustainable financing models for RX-series Electric Aircraft.Introduction of carbon credit offsets to promote green aviation.Broadening access to electric aircraft in emerging markets.Aligning with global decarbonization goals like the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050.

Revolutionizing Air Mobility, Driving Innovation and Sustainability

Volar Air Mobility sets itself apart with an aircraft-agnostic technology platform, allowing it to integrate a variety of sustainable aircraft. The RX4E, a fully electric four-seater, is leading the charge toward a greener aviation future. Volar’s focus is on making electric air travel affordable and accessible in developing regions, supporting environmental goals while boosting local economies. By collaborating with Volar, Exim Finance is breaking new ground in green aviation. Exim Finance offers a range of financial services across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.

Industry Leaders Comment on the Partnership

Mr. Salah Ibrahim Al Nasser, Chairman of Exim Finance, commented: “We are honored to be part of this significant initiative aimed at transforming the future of aviation through sustainable practices. As a financial institution committed to supporting innovation and environmental responsibility, EXIM Finance recognizes the critical importance of green aviation in reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. By partnering with key stakeholders, this Memorandum of Understanding represents a major step forward in creating a more sustainable aviation ecosystem.”

Mr. Henry Hooi, Chairman of Volar Air Mobility Holding Company Limited, added: “Volar Air Mobility is honored to be working with EXIM Finance on a pioneering initiative to develop a series of green financing solutions to enable green aviation. The opportunity is to co-develop pioneering solutions in UAE to enable broader adoption of green aviation globally, thus contributing meaningful environmental impacts and fulfilling the aspirations of many, including those outlined in the UAE Net Zero by 2050.”

Mr. Saif Aldarmaki, Founding Partner of Volar Air Mobility Industries, stated: “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to revolutionizing the green aviation sector. By working with Exim Finance, we are taking a bold step forward in realizing the promise of electric aviation and supporting the global transition to sustainable technologies.”

Mr. Anwar Hussein, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Volar Air Mobility Industries, emphasized the collaboration’s significance, stating: “With this MoU, we are laying the groundwork for the future of green aviation financing. Our combined expertise will allow us to create financing structures that support early adopters of electric aircraft and help expand the global market for eco-friendly aviation solutions.”

About Volar Air Mobility

Volar Air Mobility is a green air mobility technology company focused on the commercialization of electric aircraft worldwide. The company holds exclusive commercialization rights for the RX-series Electric Aircraft, developed by the Liaoning General Aviation Academy (LGAA), and is dedicated to fostering sustainable aviation technologies that contribute to a greener future.

About Exim Finance

Exim Finance provides investment, corporate, and commercial banking solutions across several continents, helping drive growth through innovative financial solutions. With a strong global presence, Exim Finance leverages a diverse team whose extensive connections with Export Banks and Credit Insurance providers enable them to deliver tailored financial solutions that empower clients’ success.

For more information, visit www.volarairmobility.com and www.eximfinance.ae.

Media Contact:
Miss Wyam Amiri
Inovartic Investment
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Email: 383409@email4pr.com 
Phone: +971561090758

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SOURCE Volar Air Mobility

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