New England Biolabs

Last updated
New England Biolabs
Founded1974;50 years ago (1974) [1]
FounderDonald Comb
Headquarters240 County Road, Ipswich, Massachusetts 01938
Key people
  • Salvatore Russello, CEO
Number of employees
350
Website www.neb.com

New England Biolabs (NEB) produces and supplies recombinant and native enzyme reagents for the life science research, [2] as well as providing products and services supporting genome editing, synthetic biology and next-generation sequencing. [3] NEB also provides free access to research tools such as REBASE, InBASE, and Polbase.

Contents

About

The company was founded in 1974 by Donald "Don" Comb, a Harvard Medical School professor, as a cooperative laboratory of experienced scientists and initially produced restriction enzymes on a commercial scale. [4] Comb held the CEO title until 2005 when, at 78 years old, he moved from management back into research at the firm. [5]

NEB received approximately $1.7 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants between 2009 and 2013 for this research. [2]

NEB produces 230 recombinant and 30 native restriction enzymes for genomic research, as well as nicking enzymes and DNA methylases. It pursues research in areas related to proteomics, DNA Sequencing, and drug discovery. NEB scientists also conduct basic research in Molecular Biology and Parasitology. [2]

The company has subsidiaries in Singapore, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and Australia, [2] [6] and distributors in South America, Australia, and other countries in Europe and Asia. [7] Its headquarters are in Ipswich, MA. Development of the current headquarters began in 2000, and was completed in 2005. [8] Donald Comb served as the company's Chairman and CEO from the company's founding in 1974, until 2005. In 2005, he was replaced as chief executive by James Ellard, though Comb continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. In October 2020 Comb passed away at the age of 93. [9] NEB employs over 450 people at its headquarters. [10] As company policy, all scientists and some executives must work at least one day per month on the customer support telephone line, answering technical support questions about the company's products. [2] In 2022 Jim Ellard stepped down as CEO, but remained chairman of the board of directors, he was succeeded by Salvatore (Sal) Russello, previously NEB's director of OEM & customized solutions. [11]

Sir Richard John Roberts is the company's Chief Scientific Officer. [2] [12] He shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Phillip Allen Sharp for the discovery of introns in eukaryotic DNA and the mechanism of gene-splicing.

In 2015, NEB committed to establishing a GMP manufacturing facility near its headquarters in Ipswich, Massachusetts, [13] and the 40,000-sq-ft facility was completed in 2018. [14] The multi-product Rowley Cleanroom Manufacturing Facility makes GMP-grade products and has a 10,000-sq-ft mechanical mezzanine. [15]

Applications and Tools

Luna kits

In January 2017, NEB released Luna universal quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) kits. [16] The Luna kits are used for DNA or RNA quantitation. [16]

NEBNext products

In December 2017, the company released the NEBNext Ultra II FS DNA library prep kit for next-generation sequencing (NGS). [17] In October 2019, NEB released a new RNA depletion product, the NEBNext Globin & rRNA Depletion Kit (Human/Mouse/Rat) and NEBNext rRNA Depletion Kit (Bacteria). [18] The kits offer specific depletion of the RNA species that interfere with the analysis of coding and non-coding RNAs. [18] [19] That same month, the company announced its NEBNext Direct Genotyping Solution. [20] The product delivers a one day, automatable genotyping workflow for a variety of applications in Agricultural biotechnology. [20]

In January 2020, NEB signed an agreement with ERS Genomics Limited that gave NEB rights to sell CRISPR/Cas9 tools and reagents, used for gene editing. [21]

Cloning and synthetic biology

The NEBuilder HiFi DNA Assembly Cloning Kit and Master Mix enable one-step cloning and multiple DNA fragment assembly. The proprietary DNA polymerase in the NEBuilder HiFi enzyme mix can assemble DNA fragments ranging from 100 bp to 19 kb. NEB also offers the Gibson Assembly Master Mix. [22]

Monarch nucleic acid purification

NEB provides purification kits for both DNA and RNA. [23] [24] In May 2019, NEB released the Monarch Genomic DNA Purification Kit which is designed to minimize RNA contamination and allow high-yield purification of large DNA fragments. [23] NEB’s nucleic acid purification products have been used in various studies, including:

Response to COVID-19

New England Biolabs developed a colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for research use. [29] [30] This assay can be used to test for the presence of virus through nucleic acid detection, returning results in only 30 minutes. [29] In 2020, the LAMP method was one of several molecular tests used to detect RNA from SARS-CoV-2, a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. [31]

RNA isolation kits were also used to develop assays to detect SARS-CoV-2. NEB’s Monarch Total RNA Miniprep Kit was not designed specifically for viral RNA extraction, but it was successfully used by different companies to extract viral RNA from biological samples. [32] NEB also released a supplementary protocol for processing saliva, buccal swabs, and nasopharyngeal samples. [32]

Three next-generation sequencing kits to support SARS-CoV-2 monitoring were launched in February, 2021. These kits, based on ARTIC Network protocols, provide virus transmission and evolution insights. [33]

In April, 2021, the Color SARS-CoV-2 RT-LAMP Diagnostic Assay, utilizing New England Biolabs reagents, was approved for emergency use at Color Health Inc in Burlingame, California. [34]

Databases

The company runs free scientific databases. REBASE, the restriction enzyme database, contains the details of commercial and research endonucleases. [35] In 2011 the company founded Polbase, an online database which provides information specifically about polymerases. [36] [37] Another free NEB database is InBase, an intein database, which includes the Intein Registry and information about each intein. [35]

Partnerships

In 2001, NEB co-founded the marine DNA library Ocean Genome Legacy (OGL), which according to the Boston Globe, “catalogues samples of organisms from all over the world, to be made available to scientists for research”. Though originally located on the NEB campus, OGLF relocated to the Nahant campus of Northeastern University in 2014. [36] [37] [38] To enable point-of-use sales of its reagents, NEB created a digital interface for enzyme-housing freezers to be used at customer storage sites, through a partnership with Ionia Corp. and Salesforce.com. The data is used by the company for both sales logistics and as a part of future enzyme research development. [39] [40] It has also partnered with Harvard University on recycling and reclamation initiatives when its products and packaging come to the end of their use or lifecycle. [41] As of 2015, NEB also had a distribution agreement with VWR. [3]

In June 2019, NEB, Waters, and Genos announced they would work together on The Human Glycome Project, a global initiative to map the structure and function of human glycans. [42] NEB will supply a version of its Rapid PNGase F technology to aid in increased sample preparation and improve process throughput. [42]

That same month, NEB entered a partnership with Bioz, Inc., an artificial intelligence technology company, to provide its customers with access to examples of real-world applications of its products. [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Complementary DNA</span> DNA reverse transcribed from RNA

In genetics, complementary DNA (cDNA) is DNA that was reverse transcribed from an RNA. cDNA exists in both single-stranded and double-stranded forms and in both natural and engineered forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polymerase chain reaction</span> Laboratory technique to multiply a DNA sample for study

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample rapidly, allowing scientists to amplify a very small sample of DNA sufficiently to enable detailed study. PCR was invented in 1983 by American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation. Mullis and biochemist Michael Smith, who had developed other essential ways of manipulating DNA, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.

In molecular biology, an amplicon is a piece of DNA or RNA that is the source and/or product of amplification or replication events. It can be formed artificially, using various methods including polymerase chain reactions (PCR) or ligase chain reactions (LCR), or naturally through gene duplication. In this context, amplification refers to the production of one or more copies of a genetic fragment or target sequence, specifically the amplicon. As it refers to the product of an amplification reaction, amplicon is used interchangeably with common laboratory terms, such as "PCR product."

The first isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was done in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher. DNA extraction is the process of isolating DNA from the cells of an organism isolated from a sample, typically a biological sample such as blood, saliva, or tissue. It involves breaking open the cells, removing proteins and other contaminants, and purifying the DNA so that it is free of other cellular components. The purified DNA can then be used for downstream applications such as PCR, sequencing, or cloning. Currently, it is a routine procedure in molecular biology or forensic analyses.

Pyrosequencing is a method of DNA sequencing based on the "sequencing by synthesis" principle, in which the sequencing is performed by detecting the nucleotide incorporated by a DNA polymerase. Pyrosequencing relies on light detection based on a chain reaction when pyrophosphate is released. Hence, the name pyrosequencing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanger sequencing</span> Method of DNA sequencing developed in 1977

Sanger sequencing is a method of DNA sequencing that involves electrophoresis and is based on the random incorporation of chain-terminating dideoxynucleotides by DNA polymerase during in vitro DNA replication. After first being developed by Frederick Sanger and colleagues in 1977, it became the most widely used sequencing method for approximately 40 years. It was first commercialized by Applied Biosystems in 1986. More recently, higher volume Sanger sequencing has been replaced by next generation sequencing methods, especially for large-scale, automated genome analyses. However, the Sanger method remains in wide use for smaller-scale projects and for validation of deep sequencing results. It still has the advantage over short-read sequencing technologies in that it can produce DNA sequence reads of > 500 nucleotides and maintains a very low error rate with accuracies around 99.99%. Sanger sequencing is still actively being used in efforts for public health initiatives such as sequencing the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 as well as for the surveillance of norovirus outbreaks through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) CaliciNet surveillance network.

Invitrogen is one of several brands under the Thermo Fisher Scientific corporation. The product line includes various subbrands of biotechnology products, such as machines and consumables for polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription, cloning, culturing, stem cell production, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, immunotherapy, transfection, DNA/RNA purification, diagnostic tests, antibodies, and immunoassays.

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, commonly referred to as NASBA, is a method in molecular biology which is used to produce multiple copies of single stranded RNA. NASBA is a two-step process that takes RNA and anneals specially designed primers, then utilizes an enzyme cocktail to amplify it.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a commonly used molecular biology tool for amplifying DNA, and various techniques for PCR optimization which have been developed by molecular biologists to improve PCR performance and minimize failure.

Applied Biosystems is one of various brands under the Life Technologies brand of Thermo Fisher Scientific corporation. The brand is focused on integrated systems for genetic analysis, which include computerized machines and the consumables used within them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USB Corporation</span>

USB Corporation offers life science products for use in basic research, drug discovery and molecular diagnostics. The company history reaches back to the 1980s, as United States Biochemical, known for Sequenase DNA Polymerase, a genetically modified enzyme used to develop the first easy-to-use DNA sequencing products. Today, USB focuses on molecular biology and biochemical products for DNA amplification (PCR), purification, cloning, protein studies and RNA analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of polymerase chain reaction</span>

The history of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has variously been described as a classic "Eureka!" moment, or as an example of cooperative teamwork between disparate researchers. Following is a list of events before, during, and after its development:

The versatility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has led to modifications of the basic protocol being used in a large number of variant techniques designed for various purposes. This article summarizes many of the most common variations currently or formerly used in molecular biology laboratories; familiarity with the fundamental premise by which PCR works and corresponding terms and concepts is necessary for understanding these variant techniques.

Epigenomics is the study of the complete set of epigenetic modifications on the genetic material of a cell, known as the epigenome. The field is analogous to genomics and proteomics, which are the study of the genome and proteome of a cell. Epigenetic modifications are reversible modifications on a cell's DNA or histones that affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenomic maintenance is a continuous process and plays an important role in stability of eukaryotic genomes by taking part in crucial biological mechanisms like DNA repair. Plant flavones are said to be inhibiting epigenomic marks that cause cancers. Two of the most characterized epigenetic modifications are DNA methylation and histone modification. Epigenetic modifications play an important role in gene expression and regulation, and are involved in numerous cellular processes such as in differentiation/development and tumorigenesis. The study of epigenetics on a global level has been made possible only recently through the adaptation of genomic high-throughput assays.

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction refers to the use of polymerase chain reaction to amplify several different DNA sequences simultaneously. This process amplifies DNA in samples using multiple primers and a temperature-mediated DNA polymerase in a thermal cycler. The primer design for all primers pairs has to be optimized so that all primer pairs can work at the same annealing temperature during PCR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined bisulfite restriction analysis</span>

Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis is a molecular biology technique that allows for the sensitive quantification of DNA methylation levels at a specific genomic locus on a DNA sequence in a small sample of genomic DNA. The technique is a variation of bisulfite sequencing, and combines bisulfite conversion based polymerase chain reaction with restriction digestion. Originally developed to reliably handle minute amounts of genomic DNA from microdissected paraffin-embedded tissue samples, the technique has since seen widespread usage in cancer research and epigenetics studies.

Eurogentec is an international biotechnology supplier, based in Belgium, that specializes in genomics and proteomics kits and reagents as well as cGMP biologics. The company was founded in 1985 as a spin-off from the University of Liège. Eurogentec's contract manufacturing organization facilities are licensed by the Belgian Ministry of Health to produce clinical trial and commercial biopharmaceutical material and also licensed by the US FDA to manufacture a commercial recombinant protein product for the US market. Eurogentec operates two manufacturing facilities in Belgium that provide custom biologics and oligonucleotide-based components for diagnostic and therapeutic/prophylactic applications.

Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a single tube, isothermal alternative to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By adding a reverse transcriptase enzyme to an RPA reaction it can detect RNA as well as DNA, without the need for a separate step to produce cDNA,. Because it is isothermal, RPA can use much simpler equipment than PCR, which requires a thermal cycler. Operating best at temperatures of 37–42 °C and still working, albeit more slowly, at room temperature means RPA reactions can in theory be run quickly simply by holding a tube. This makes RPA an excellent candidate for developing low-cost, rapid, point-of-care molecular tests. An international quality assessment of molecular detection of Rift Valley fever virus performed as well as the best RT-PCR tests, detecting less concentrated samples missed by some PCR tests and an RT-LAMP test. RPA was developed and launched by TwistDx Ltd., a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, UK.

Charles Clifton Richardson is an American biochemist and professor at Harvard University. Richardson received his undergraduate education at Duke University, where he majored in medicine. He received his M.D. at Duke Medical School in 1960. Richardson works as a professor at Harvard Medical School, and he served as editor/associate editor of the Annual Review of Biochemistry from 1972 to 2003. Richardson received the American Chemical Society Award in Biological Chemistry in 1968, as well as numerous other accolades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primerdesign</span>

Primerdesign is a UK-based biotechnology company that designs and sells products for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "In loving memory of Donald G. Comb, Founder of New England Biolabs, Inc". New England Biolabs. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Philippidis, Alex (15 March 2013). "New England Biolabs Looks Past Enzymes". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News . 33 (6): 08–09. doi:10.1089/gen.33.6.02 . Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 Staff (1 April 2015). "News: Products & Services". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (Paper). 35 (7): 8. doi:10.1089/gen.35.21.05.
  4. ↑ Writer, Julie Manganis Staff (13 October 2020). "New England Biolabs founder dies at 93". Salem News. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  5. ↑ Allis, Sam (August 7, 2005). "Sea quest". The Berkshire Eagle . p. A6. Retrieved January 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "New England Biolabs, Inc. opens eighth subsidiary in Australia". Biospace. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ "New England BioLabs Company Overview". Business Week. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ Bill Archambeault (November 27, 2000). "Firm plans $70M project on Ipswich 'great estate'". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  9. ↑ Hagerty, James R. (30 October 2020). "Donald Comb Created Tools for Gene-Splicing". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Reforest the Tropics and New England Biolabs, Inc. enter into agreement to plant 100 hectares of forest to offset carbon emissions" (Press release). August 15, 2019.
  11. ↑ "New England Biolabs: Jim Ellard, Sal Russello". GenomeWeb. 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  12. ↑ Michael Hickens (April 24, 2014). "The Morning Download: Tech Giants Act to Stop 'Next Heartbleed'". Wall Street Journal.
  13. ↑ Staff (June 12, 2015). "New England Biolabs announces plans for GMP manufacturing". Pharmaceutical Processing .
  14. ↑ "Process Cooling System Saves Both Water, Energy at New England BioLabs". HPAC Engineering. 2 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "New England Biolabs, Inc". Columbia. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Universal Kits Optimized for DNA, RNA Quantitation". Clinical Lab Products. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  17. ↑ "New England Biolabs Releases Next-Generation Sequencing Preparation Kit". Clinical Lab Products. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  18. 1 2 "Bio-IT World". www.bio-itworld.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  19. ↑ "New England Biolabs helps Researchers to Tackle Transcriptomics in Bacteria and Blood". The Scientist Magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  20. 1 2 "New England Biolabs launches NEBNext Direct Genotyping Solution". The Scientist. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  21. ↑ "ERS Genomics and New England Biolabs sign agreement to commercialize CRISPR/Cas9 tools, reagents". News-Medical.net. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  22. ↑ "New England Biolabs, Inc. Introduces Novel Cloning And DNA Assembly Method: NEBuilder® HiFi". BioSpace. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  23. 1 2 "New England Biolabs Monarch Genomic DNA Purification Kit". GenomeWeb. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  24. 1 2 Tipton, Craig D.; Wolcott, Randall D.; Sanford, Nicholas E.; Miller, Clint; Pathak, Gita; Silzer, Talisa K.; Sun, Jie; Fleming, Derek; Rumbaugh, Kendra P.; Little, Todd D.; Phillips, Nicole (2020-06-18). "Patient genetics is linked to chronic wound microbiome composition and healing". PLOS Pathogens. 16 (6): e1008511. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008511 . ISSN   1553-7374. PMC   7302439 . PMID   32555671.
  25. ↑ Lee, Yan-Jiun; Dai, Nan; Walsh, Shannon E.; Müller, Stephanie; Fraser, Morgan E.; Kauffman, Kathryn M.; Guan, Chudi; Corrêa, Ivan R.; Weigele, Peter R. (2018). "Identification and biosynthesis of thymidine hypermodifications in the genomic DNA of widespread bacterial viruses". PNAS. 115 (14): E3116–E3125. Bibcode:2018PNAS..115E3116L. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1714812115 . PMC   5889632 . PMID   29555775.
  26. ↑ Crawford, Karen; Quiroz, Juan F. Diaz; Koenig, Kristen M.; Ahuja, Namrata; Albertin, Caroline B.; Rosenthal, Joshua J. C. (2020-09-07). "Highly Efficient Knockout of a Squid Pigmentation Gene". Current Biology. 30 (17): 3484–3490.e4. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.099. ISSN   0960-9822. PMC   7484294 . PMID   32735817.
  27. ↑ Wang, Guohao; Xu, Junji; Zhao, Jiangsha; Yin, Weiqin; Liu, Dayong; Chen, WanJun; Hou, Steven X. (2020-01-10). "Arf1-mediated lipid metabolism sustains cancer cells and its ablation induces anti-tumor immune responses in mice". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 220. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11..220W. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-14046-9 . ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   6954189 . PMID   31924786.
  28. ↑ Albaqami, Maria; Hammad, Merfat; Pooam, Marootpong; Procopio, Maria; Sameti, Mahyar; Ritz, Thorsten; Ahmad, Margaret; Martino, Carlos F. (2020-07-09). "Arabidopsis cryptochrome is responsive to Radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 11260. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67165-5 . ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   7347919 . PMID   32647192.
  29. 1 2 "NYC Scientists Swab the Subway in Search of SARS-CoV-2". GEN. 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  30. ↑ Tanner, NA; Evans, TC (2014). "Loop-mediated isothermal amplification for detection of nucleic acids". Curr Protoc Mol Biol. 105: Unit 15.14. doi:10.1002/0471142727.mb1514s105. PMID   24510439. S2CID   31241082.
  31. ↑ Shen, Minzhe; Zhou, Ying; Ye, Jiawei; Abdullah Al-Maskri, Abdu Ahmed; Kang, Yu; Zeng, Su; Cai, Sheng (2020). "Recent advances and perspectives of nucleic acid detection for coronavirus". Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. 10 (2): 97–101. doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2020.02.010 . PMC   7102540 . PMID   32292623.
  32. 1 2 "Availability of RNA Isolation Kits Not as Dire as Reported".
  33. ↑ "New England Biolabs supports SARS-CoV-2 monitoring with NGS kits". Science Board. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  34. ↑ "EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION (EUA) SUMMARY FOR THE COLOR SARS-COV-2 RT-LAMP DIAGNOSTIC ASSAY". FDA. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  35. 1 2 Terence A. Brown (1998). Molecular Biology Labfax, Volume 1. Elsevier. p. 41. ISBN   9780121360559 . Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  36. 1 2 "Product Watch: Thermo Fisher's PikoReal System; New England Biolabs' Polbase". Genome Web. November 10, 2011.
  37. 1 2 Rodney H. Brown (November 10, 2011). "New England Biolabs establishes polymerase database Polbase". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Researchers collecting DNA from the ocean's depths". The Boston Globe. 2014-04-17.
  39. ↑ Nigel Fenwick (April 7, 2014). "CIOs: Choose Your Digital Future". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  40. ↑ Curt Woodward (May 6, 2014). "LogMeIn Acquires Ionia for $12M, Intensifying "Internet of Things" Focus". Xconomy. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  41. ↑ Michelle Taylor (April 8, 2014). "Collaborative Sustainability". Laboratory Equipment. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  42. 1 2 "Introduction to Glycan Analysis". www.biocompare.com. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  43. ↑ "Bioz Has Partnered With NEB to Empower Life Science Researchers". BioSpace. June 13, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2020.


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