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Wasatch BioLabs and Oxford Nanopore Team Up to Accelerate Methylation Sequencing Towards Clinical Use

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SALT LAKE CITY and OXFORD, United Kingdom, Nov. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Wasatch Biolabs (WBL), a disruptive R&D and high-throughput clinical laboratory, today announced a collaboration with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), the company delivering a new generation of nanopore-based molecular sensing technology, to develop a Direct Whole Methylome Sequencing product that addresses key limitations associated with traditional bisulfite sequencing and methylation microarrays.

WBL develops proprietary methylation and genomic assays for mass-market research and customized clinical applications incorporating Oxford Nanopore’s rich genomic insights and rapid, accessible, and affordable sequencing technology. This collaboration is designed to build on Wasatch BioLab’s existing proprietary methylation assays and create market-leading offers to drive innovation in genomic and epigenomic analysis, accelerating breakthroughs in research and clinical applications.

“Through this collaboration, we are utilizing Oxford Nanopore’s industry-leading sequencing technology and additional technological expertise to accelerate product development and bring groundbreaking innovations to market faster,” said Chad Pollard, CEO and Co-Founder of Wasatch BioLabs. “These products are poised to redefine the standard for epigenetic research and revolutionize the field.”

New Product Announcement: Direct Whole Methylome Sequencing

Following Wasatch BioLabs’ recent release of a cell-free whole genome methylation sequencing assay that significantly improves sensitivity and data quality in assays targeting highly fragmented cfDNA, WBL is excited to announce their latest product: Direct Whole Methylome Sequencing (dWMS). This innovative technology addresses key limitations of traditional methods, such as bisulfite sequencing and methylation microarrays.

By eliminating DNA damage from harsh chemical treatments, sequencing biases from PCR amplification, batch effects, and restricted genomic coverage, dWMS offers comprehensive genome-wide coverage, capturing up to 98% of the 28.1 million CpG methylation sites in the human genome. It delivers precise single-molecule resolution and enables the simultaneous detection of DNA sequence, methylation, and hydroxymethylation patterns.

“We’re excited to work closely with the Wasatch BioLabs team to help facilitate a paradigm shift in methylation research,” said Kathleen Barnes, SVP of Population Health and Precision Medicine at ONT. “Together we will co-develop products that will replace conventional technologies such as sequencing arrays and bisulfite sequencing and reshape how methylation is incorporated into clinical research and diagnostics.”

ASHG 2024 Speaking Event Announcement

From Arrays to Sequencing: Enhancing Methylation Analysis for Biomarker Discovery and Clinical Applications

WBL will discuss this product and other key developments in a joint WBL and Oxford Nanopore CoLab session at the upcoming American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting, held November 6th-8th in Denver, CO. The presentation will unveil key product details, including more robust details of MethylSeqR, a proprietary analysis package designed to provide researchers with the tools to perform complex analyses on robust native-read DNA output in minutes.

Date and time: Nov 6th at 12pm MT
Location: Colab: Theater #1

About Wasatch BioLabs
Wasatch BioLabs (WBL) is a leading R&D laboratory and next-generation sequencing service provider dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and clinical epigenomics. Headquartered in Utah, WBL specializes in developing innovative methylation-based technologies and delivering custom assays built for scalability, precision, and impactful results. WBL’s offerings empower researchers and other clients with unprecedented insights into the genome. With a focus on collaboration, adaptability, and excellence, Wasatch BioLabs is a trusted partner for academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.wasatchbiolabs.com.

About Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ goal is to bring the widest benefits to society through enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. The company has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology for real-time, high-performance, accessible, and scalable analysis of DNA and RNA. The technology is used in more than 125 countries to understand the biology of humans and diseases such as cancer, plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and whole environments. Oxford Nanopore Technologies products are intended for molecular biology applications and are not intended for diagnostic purposes. For more, visit: https://nanoporetech.com/

Forward-looking statements

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding expected revenue growth and profit margins are forward-looking statements. Phrases such as “aim”, “plan”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “target”, and similar expressions of a future or forward-looking nature should also be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and by definition address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Our results could be affected by macroeconomic conditions, delays or challenges in manufacturing or delivering of products to our customers, suspensions of large projects and/or acceleration of large products or accelerated adoption of pathogen surveillance or applied uses of our products. These or other uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements.

For more information, please visit:
Wasatch BioLabs: www.wasatchbiolabs.com
Oxford Nanopore Technologies: https://nanoporetech.com

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SOURCE Wasatch BioLabs

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Club Offers for Travel Enthusiasts in Canada

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TORONTO, Oct 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Travelzoo® (NASDAQ: TZOO), the club for travel enthusiasts, announces three of many new Club Offers for Club Members in Canada.

Rigorously vetted and negotiated for us travel enthusiasts:

$799—COSTA RICA WEEK WITH FLIGHTS & CAR
We think fall is an ideal time to visit Costa Rica; the scenery is lush and the crowds are gone. Drive between volcanic Arenal and the idyllic beaches of Tamarindo on this seven-night trip. Since it’s not as busy, we were able to negotiate a price that saves members up to $648 on departures through mid-December.

$899—BARCELONA: 5 NIGHTS WITH FLIGHTS
Explore Barcelona’s world-class museums and architectural masterpieces in the quieter winter months to pack more into your trip. You won’t waste hours in lines and can access top restaurants that are fully booked in summer. We save $300 on travel this January and February, when temperatures are still spring-like. Roundtrip flights from Toronto, hotel and daily breakfast are included.

$999—ST. KITTS GETAWAY FOR 2, REG. $2083
Most visitors to St. Kitts book months in advance, but when we pointed out that travel enthusiasts are more spontaneous, this resort gave us a terrific rate for stays this November and December. Spend four nights in Frigate Bay and get an upgraded Oceanview room, too.

Are you a travel enthusiast? Join the club today: https://travelzoo.com

Who are we?
We, Travelzoo®, are the club for travel enthusiasts. We reach 30 million travellers. Club Members receive Club Offers negotiated and rigorously vetted by our deal experts around the globe. Our relationships with thousands of top travel companies give us access to irresistible deals. Our club and its benefits are built around the lifestyle of a modern travel enthusiast.

Media Contact: 
Amanda Ieraci – Toronto
+1 437 866 8540
aieraci@travelzoo.com

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SOURCE Travelzoo

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Howard Hughes Holdings Set to Join S&P SmallCap 600

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HHH) will replace Arcosa Inc. (NYSE: ACA) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Wednesday, October 28. S&P 500 constituent CRH plc (NYSE: CRH) has acquired Arcosa in a deal that closed today, October 23.

Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date:

Effective Date

Index Name  

Action

Company Name

Ticker

GICS Sector

October 28, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Addition

Howard Hughes Holdings

HHH

Real Estate

October 28, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Deletion

Arcosa

ACA

Industrials

ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES

S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets.

S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

S&P Dow Jones Indices
index_services@spglobal.com

Media Inquiries
spdji.comms@spglobal.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/howard-hughes-holdings-set-to-join-sp-smallcap-600-302918511.html

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices

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Chelsea FC announces multi-year sleeve partnership with Sokin, the business payments and FX platform

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Chelsea FC name fast-growing fintech platform as Principal Partner

LONDON, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chelsea Football Club has today announced a multi-year partnership with Sokin, the embedded finance and payments company used by businesses worldwide. Sokin will be named a Principal Partner and Official Business Payments and FX Partner of Chelsea FC and Chelsea FC Women.

As a Principal Partner, Sokin will be represented on the sleeves of the Chelsea FC men’s, women’s and academy home, away, and third kits from the 2026/27 season.

The partnership brings together two ambitious London-headquartered organisations with worldwide reach – a club with millions of fans across the world and a fintech platform through which businesses move more than $11 billion a year. A club of Chelsea’s scale works in many currencies every day, with partners, competitions and supporters around the world, and needs a financial partner built to handle that.

Sokin gives finance teams business payments, multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, checkout and treasury in one place, so they spend less time juggling banks and providers and keep more of what they move.

As Official Business Payments and FX Partner, Sokin will simplify how Chelsea FC sends, receives and manages money in the currencies the club operates in.

The Sokin logo will feature on the sleeve of the Chelsea shirt for the first time [when the men’s team host Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 24th October.]

Jason Gannon, President at Chelsea FC said:

“At Chelsea, we seek to partner with organisations that share our ambition and innovative mindset. Sokin’s expertise in business payments, and their focus on making both simpler for the businesses they serve, makes them a natural fit for the Club. We are pleased to welcome Sokin to the Chelsea family and look forward to working together in the years ahead.”

Vroon Modgill, CEO and founder at Sokin said:

“Chelsea plays on the biggest stage in world football, and its business runs in dozens of currencies. Sokin was built for that with regulated, multi-currency payments and foreign exchange for organisations that operate internationally. We’re proud to be the platform behind the business payments and FX of one of the most iconic teams in football. Sokin’s platform serves businesses in more than 170 countries. We’re thrilled to be partners for the season ahead. An organisation as sophisticated as Chelsea doesn’t leave its finances to chance.”

About Sokin

Sokin is the financial layer global business runs on. Businesses can transact, convert and hold money in 70+ currencies across 170+ countries. Some businesses use Sokin to manage global finance in-house. Others build it into their products to power financial experiences for their customers. Businesses move more than $9 billion a year on licenses Sokin holds in 36+ countries and infrastructure Sokin owns. Founded in 2019, Sokin has raised over $100 million from investors including Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and Prysm Capital.

About Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea Football Club is one of the biggest, most successful football clubs globally and our men’s team are reigning world champions, having won the four-yearly FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Our women’s team, Chelsea Women, are also multiple trophy winners.

Founded in 1905, Chelsea is London’s most central football club, based at the iconic 40,000-capacity Stamford Bridge stadium. Nicknamed the Blues, the club lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2012 and domestically has won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup eight times, the Football League Cup five times and the Football League Championship once, in 1955.

The Chelsea Women’s team have enjoyed a huge amount of success and in 2025 won the FA Women’s Super League for a sixth consecutive year and the eighth time overall. The Women’s FA Cup has been won on six occasions. We have also captured the FA Women’s League Cup four times as well as reaching the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in 2021. In two seasons, 2020/21 and 2024/25, a domestic treble of trophies was secured.

The Chelsea Foundation boasts one of the most extensive community initiatives in sport, helping to improve the lives of children and young people all over the world.

Media Contacts:

Taina Biggs
taina.biggs@sokin.com 

Nerissa Chesterfield
nerissa.chesterfield@chelseafc.com 

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