Concordance between an FDA-approved companion diagnostic and an alternative assay kit for assessing homologous recombination deficiency in ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Authors evaluated the performance of a commercially available next-generation sequencing assay kit; this was based on genomic content from Illumina's TruSight™ Oncology 500 research assay that identifies BRCA variants and proprietary algorithms licensed from Myriad and, with additional genomic content, measures the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) genomic instability score (GIS) in tumor tissue (TSO 500 HRD assay). METHODS: Data from the TSO 500 HRD assay were compared with data from the Myriad MyChoice®CDx PLUS assay (Myriad assay). Prevalence rates for overall HRD status and BRCA mutations (a deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation or both) and assay agreement rates for HRD GIS and BRCA analysis were assessed in ovarian tumor samples. Pearson correlations of the continuous HRD GIS and analytic sensitivity and specificity were evaluated. RESULTS: The prevalence of overall HRD positivity was 51.2% (TSO 500 HRD assay) versus 49.2% (Myriad assay) and the prevalence of BRCA mutations was 27.6% (TSO 500 HRD assay) versus 25.5% (Myriad assay). After post-processing optimization, concordance of the HRD GIS was 0.980 in all samples and 0.976 in the non-BRCA mutation cohort; the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.995 and 0.992, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison between the Illumina and Myriad assays showed that overall HRD status, the individual components of BRCA analysis, and HRD GIS detection results were highly concordant (>93%), suggesting the TSO 500 HRD assay will approach the analytical accuracy of the FDA-approved Myriad assay.

Determining minimal clinically important differences in the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded for untreated spinal muscular atrophy patients: An international study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare and progressive neuromuscular disorder with varying severity levels. The aim of the study was to calculate minimal clinically important difference (MCID), minimal detectable change (MDC), and values for the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) in an untreated international SMA cohort. METHODS: The study employed two distinct methods. MDC was calculated using distribution-based approaches to consider standard error of measurement and effect size change in a population of 321 patients (176 SMA II and 145 SMA III), allowing for stratification based on age and function. MCID was assessed using anchor-based methods (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve analysis and standard error) on 76 patients (52 SMA II and 24 SMA III) for whom the 12-month HFMSE could be anchored to a caregiver-reported clinical perception questionnaire. RESULTS: With both approaches, SMA type II and type III patients had different profiles. The MCID, using ROC analysis, identified optimal cutoff points of -2 for type II and -4 for type III patients, whereas using the standard error we found the optimal cutoff points to be 1.5 for improvement and -3.2 for deterioration. Furthermore, distribution-based methods uncovered varying values across age and functional status subgroups within each SMA type. CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasize that the interpretation of a single MCID or MDC value obtained in large cohorts with different functional status needs to be made with caution, especially when these may be used to assess possible responses to new therapies.

Conformational fingerprinting with Raman spectroscopy reveals protein structure as a translational biomarker of muscle pathology.

Neuromuscular disorders are a group of conditions that can result in weakness of skeletal muscles. Examples include fatal diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and conditions associated with high morbidity such as myopathies (muscle diseases). Many of these disorders are known to have abnormal protein folding and protein aggregates. Thus, easy to apply methods for the detection of such changes may prove useful diagnostic biomarkers. Raman spectroscopy has shown early promise in the detection of muscle pathology in neuromuscular disorders and is well suited to characterising the conformational profiles relating to protein secondary structure. In this work, we assess if Raman spectroscopy can detect differences in protein structure in muscle in the setting of neuromuscular disease. We utilise in vivo Raman spectroscopy measurements from preclinical models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the myopathy Duchenne muscular dystrophy, together with ex vivo measurements of human muscle samples from individuals with and without myopathy. Using quantitative conformation profiling and matrix factorisation we demonstrate that quantitative 'conformational fingerprinting' can be used to identify changes in protein folding in muscle. Notably, myopathic conditions in both preclinical models and human samples manifested a significant reduction in α-helix structures, with concomitant increases in ß-sheet and, to a lesser extent, nonregular configurations. Spectral patterns derived through non-negative matrix factorisation were able to identify myopathy with a high accuracy (79% in mouse, 78% in human tissue). This work demonstrates the potential of conformational fingerprinting as an interpretable biomarker for neuromuscular disorders.

Advancements in Remote Alpha Radiation Detection: Alpha-Induced Radio-Luminescence Imaging with Enhanced Ambient Light Suppression.

Heavy nuclides like uranium and their decay products are commonly found in nuclear industries and can pose a significant health risk to humans due to their alpha-emitting properties. Traditional alpha detectors require close contact with the contaminated surface, which can be time-consuming, labour-intensive, and put personnel at risk. Remote detection is urgently needed but very challenging. To this end, a candidate detection mechanism is alpha-induced radio-luminescence. This approach uses the emission of photons from radio-ionised excited nitrogen molecules to imply the presence of alpha emitters from a distance. Herein, the use of this phenomenon to remotely image various alpha emitters with unparalleled levels of sensitivity and spatial accuracy is demonstrated. Notably, the system detected a 29 kBq Am-241 source at a distance of 3 m within 10 min. Furthermore, it demonstrated the capability to discern a 29 kBq source positioned 7 cm away from a 3 MBq source at a 2 m distance. Additionally, a 'sandwich' filter structure is described that incorporates an absorptive filter between two interference filters to enhance the ambient light rejection. The testing of the system is described in different lighting environments, including room light and inside a glovebox. This method promises safer and more efficient alpha monitoring, with applications in nuclear forensics, waste management and decommissioning.

Beyond Contractures in Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Identifying Lower-Limb Joint Hypermobility.

Background: The natural history of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is well understood, with progressive muscle weakness resulting in declines in function. The development of contractures is common and negatively impacts function. Clinically, joint hypermobility (JH) is observed but is poorly described, and its relationship with function is unknown. Methods: Lower-limb ROM (range of motion) assessments of extension and flexion at the hip, knee, and ankle were performed. ROMs exceeding the published norms were included in the analysis. The functional assessments performed included the six-minute walk test (6 MWT) and the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE). Results: Of the 143 participants, 86% (n = 123) had at least one ROM measure that was hypermobile, and 22% (n = 32) had three or more. The HFMSE scores were inversely correlated with hip extension JH (r = -0.60, p = 0.21; n = 6) and positively correlated with knee flexion JH (r = 0.24, p = 0.02, n = 89). There was a moderate, inverse relationship between the 6 MWT distance and ankle plantar flexion JH (r = -0.73, p = 0.002; n = 15). Conclusions: JH was identified in nearly all participants in at least one joint in this study. Hip extension, knee flexion and ankle plantar flexion JH was associated with function. A further understanding of the trajectory of lower-limb joint ROM is needed to improve future rehabilitation strategies.

Long-term efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of apitegromab in patients with spinal muscular atrophy: results from the 36-month TOPAZ study.

Background and purpose: At 12 months in the phase 2 TOPAZ study, treatment with apitegromab was associated with both an improved motor function in patients with Type 2 or 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and with a favorable safety profile. This manuscript reports the extended efficacy and safety in the nonambulatory group of the TOPAZ study at 36 months. Methods: Patients who completed the primary study (NCT03921528) could enroll in an open-label extension, during which patients received apitegromab 20 mg/kg by intravenous infusion every 4 weeks. Patients were assessed periodically via the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE), Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM), World Health Organization (WHO) motor development milestones, Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) Daily Activities and Mobility domains, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Fatigue questionnaire. Results: Of the 58 patients enrolled in TOPAZ, 35 were nonambulatory (mean age 7.3 years). The mean change at 36 months in HFMSE score from baseline was +4.0 (standard deviation [SD]: 7.54), and + 2.4 (3.24) for RULM score (excluding n = 7 after scoliosis surgery). Caregiver-reported outcomes (PEDI-CAT and PROMIS Fatigue) showed improvements from baseline over 36 months. In addition, most patients (28/32) improved or maintained WHO motor milestones achieved at baseline. The most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse events were pyrexia (48.6%), nasopharyngitis (45.7%), COVID-19 infection (40.0%), vomiting (40.0%), and upper respiratory tract infection (31.4%). Conclusion: The benefit of apitegromab treatment observed at 12 months was sustained at 36 months with no new safety findings.

Real-World Outcomes in Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treated with Onasemnogene Abeparvovec Monotherapy: Findings from the RESTORE Registry.

Background: Long-term, real-world effectiveness and safety data of disease-modifying treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are important for assessing outcomes and providing information for a larger number and broader range of SMA patients than included in clinical trials. Objective: We sought to describe patients with SMA treated with onasemnogene abeparvovec monotherapy in the real-world setting. Methods: RESTORE is a prospective, multicenter, multinational, observational registry that captures data from a variety of sources. Results: Recruitment started in September 2018. As of May 23, 2022, data were available for 168 patients treated with onasemnogene abeparvovec monotherapy. Median (IQR) age at initial SMA diagnosis was 1 (0-6) month and at onasemnogene abeparvovec infusion was 3 (1-10) months. Eighty patients (47.6%) had two and 70 (41.7%) had three copies of SMN2, and 98 (58.3%) were identified by newborn screening. Infants identified by newborn screening had a lower age at final assessment (mean age 11.5 months) and greater mean final (SD) CHOP INTEND score (57.0 [10.0] points) compared with clinically diagnosed patients (23.1 months; 52.1 [8.0] points). All patients maintained/achieved motor milestones. 48.5% (n = 81/167) experienced at least one treatment-emergent adverse event (AE), and 31/167 patients (18.6%) experienced at least one serious AE, of which 8/31 were considered treatment-related. Conclusion: These real-world outcomes support findings from the interventional trial program and demonstrate effectiveness of onasemnogene abeparvovec over a large patient population, which was consistent with initial clinical data and published 5-year follow-up data. Observed AEs were consistent with the established safety profile of onasemnogene abeparvovec.

Safety and Efficacy of Apitegromab in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Types 2 and 3: The Phase 2 TOPAZ Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Currently approved therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) reverse the degenerative course, leading to better functional outcome, but they do not address the impairment arising from preexisting neurodegeneration. Apitegromab, an investigational, fully human monoclonal antibody, inhibits activation of myostatin (a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth), thereby preserving muscle mass. The phase 2 TOPAZ trial assessed the safety and efficacy of apitegromab in individuals with later-onset type 2 and type 3 SMA. METHODS: In this study, designed to investigate potential meaningful combinations of eligibility and treatment regimen for future studies, participants aged 2-21 years received IV apitegromab infusions every 4 weeks for 12 months in 1 of 3 cohorts. Cohort 1 stratified ambulatory participants aged 5-21 years into 2 arms (apitegromab 20 mg/kg alone or in combination with nusinersen); cohort 2 evaluated apitegromab 20 mg/kg combined with nusinersen in nonambulatory participants aged 5-21 years; and cohort 3 blindly evaluated 2 randomized apitegromab doses (2 and 20 mg/kg) combined with nusinersen in younger participants ≥2 years of age. The primary efficacy measure was mean change from baseline using the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale version appropriate for each cohort. Data were analyzed using a paired t test with 2-sided 5% type 1 error for the mean change from baseline for predefined cohort-specific primary efficacy end points. RESULTS: Fifty-eight participants (mean age 9.4 years) were enrolled at 16 trial sites in the United States and Europe. Participants had been treated with nusinersen for a mean of 25.9 months before enrollment in any of the 3 trial cohorts. At month 12, the mean change from baseline in Hammersmith scale score was -0.3 points (95% CI -2.1 to 1.4) in cohort 1 (n = 23), 0.6 points (-1.4 to 2.7) in cohort 2 (n = 15), and in cohort 3 (n = 20), the mean scores were 5.3 (-1.5 to 12.2) and 7.1 (1.8 to 12.5) for the 2-mg/kg (n = 8) and 20-mg/kg (n = 9) arms, respectively. The 5 most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse events were headache (24.1%), pyrexia (22.4%), upper respiratory tract infection (22.4%), cough (22.4%), and nasopharyngitis (20.7%). No deaths or serious adverse reactions were reported. DISCUSSION: Apitegromab led to improved motor function in participants with later-onset types 2 and 3 SMA. These results support a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial of apitegromab in participants with SMA. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03921528). CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that apitegromab improves motor function in later-onset types 2 and 3 spinal muscular atrophy.

Co-located ecological data for exploring top- and subsoil carbon dynamics across grassland-woodland contrasts.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a soil health indicator and understanding dynamics changing SOC stocks will help achieving net zero goals. Here we present four datasets featuring 11,750 data points covering co-located aboveground and below-ground metrics for exploring ecosystem SOC dynamics. Five sites across England with an established land use contrast, grassland and woodland next to each other, were rigorously sampled for aboveground (n = 109), surface (n = 33 soil water release curves), topsoil, and subsoil metrics. Commonly measured soil metrics were analysed in five soil increments for 0-1 metre (n = 4550). Less commonly measured soil metrics which were assumed to change across the soil profile were measured on a subset of samples only (n = 3762). Additionally, we developed a simple method for soil organic matter fractionation using density fractionation which is part of the less common metrics. Finally, soil metrics which may impact SOC dynamics, but with less confidence as to their importance across the soil profile were only measured on topsoil (~5-15 cm = mineral soil) and subsoil (below 50 cm) samples (n = 2567).

Therapeutic Role of Nusinersen on Respiratory Progression in Pediatric Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2 and Nonambulant Type 3.

Background and Objectives: Nusinersen has shown significant functional motor benefit in the milder types of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Less is known on the respiratory outcomes in patients with nusinersen-treated SMA. The aim of this study was to describe changes in respiratory function in pediatric patients with SMA type 2 and 3 on regular treatment with nusinersen within the iSMAc international cohort and to compare their trajectory with the natural history (NH) data published by the consortium in 2020. Methods: This is a 5-year retrospective observational study of pediatric SMA type 2 and nonambulant type 3 (age ≤18 years) treated with nusinersen. The primary objective was to compare the slopes of decline in forced vital capacity % predicted (FVC% pred.), FVC, and age when FVC dropped below 60% between the treated patients and a control group from the natural history cohort. Data on peak cough flow and the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and cough assist were collected. Results: Data were available for 69 treated patients, 53 were SMA type 2 and 16 type 3. The mean (SD) age at first injection was 8.5 (3.2) and 9.7 (3.7) years, respectively. The median (interquartile range) treatment duration was 1 (0.7; 1.9) and 1.2 (0.9; 1.9) years, respectively. At the time of the first nusinersen injection, 24 of 52 (46%) patients with SMA type 2 and 2 of 16 (13%) patients with SMA type 3 were on NIV. Forty-three of 53 (81%) and 4 of 16 (25%) patients used cough device. FVC% pred. in treated patients with SMA type 2 declined annually by 2.3% vs 3.9% in NH (p = 0.08) and in treated patients with type 3 by 2.6% vs 3.4% NH (p = 0.59). Patients treated reached FVC <60% later than untreated (12.1 vs 10 years, p = 0.05). A higher percentage of treated vs untreated patients maintained FVC% pred. equal/above their baseline after 12 (65% vs 36%) and 24 (50% vs 24%) months, respectively. NIV use among treated did not significantly change throughout 1-year follow-up. Discussion: This study included the largest real-world cohort of pediatric patients with milder SMA types. The results suggest a positive role of nusinersen in delaying the respiratory decline in patients treated longer than 1 year when compared with natural history. Larger cohorts and longer observation are planned. Classification of Evidence: This study provided Class III evidence that nusinersen slows progression for patients with SMA types 2 and 3 compared with a natural history cohort.

Disease Trajectories in the Revised Hammersmith Scale in a Cohort of Untreated Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy types 2 and 3.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disorder characterised by progressive motor function decline. Motor function is assessed using several functional outcome measures including the Revised Hammersmith Scale (RHS). Objective: In this study, we present longitudinal trajectories for the RHS in an international cohort of 149 untreated paediatric SMA 2 and 3 patients (across 531 assessments collected between March 2015 and July 2019). Methods: We contextualise these trajectories using both the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) and Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM). At baseline, this cohort included 50% females and 15% of patients had undergone spinal fusion surgery. Patient trajectories were modelled using a natural cubic spline with age, sex, and random effects for each patient. Results: RHS and HFMSE scores show similar trends over time in this cohort not receiving disease modifying therapies. The results confirm the strong correlation between the RHS and RULM previously observed in SMA types 2 and 3a. Scoliosis surgery is associated with a reduction of 3 points in the RHS, 4.5 points in the HFMSE for the SMA 2 population, and a reduction of 11.8 points in the RHS, and 13.4 points in the HFMSE for the SMA 3a populations. When comparing the RHS and RULM, there is a lower correlation in the type 3a's than the type 2 patients. In the SMA 2 population, there is no significant difference between the sexes in either the RHS or HFMSE trajectories. There is no significant difference in the RULM trajectory in the SMA 2 or 3a participants by sex. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the RHS could be used in conjunction with other functional measures such as the RULM to holistically detect SMA disease progression. This will assist with fully understanding changes that occur with treatments, further defining trajectories and therapy outcomes.

Changes in abilities over the initial 12 months of nusinersen treatment for type II SMA.

Several studies have shown the efficacy of new disease-modifying therapies in slowing down type II SMA progression using the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE). This research aims to enhance understanding of activity changes across age groups post-nusinersen treatment using shift analysis, compared with untreated individuals. Retrospective data from the, international SMA consortium (iSMAc) dataset were analyzed, assessing individual item changes over 12 months. Shift analysis was used to determine the gain or loss of abilities, defining "gain" as a positive change between scores from 0 to either 1 or 2 and "loss" as a negative change from either 2 or 1 to 0. The cohort included 130 SMA II patients who underwent 12-month assessments from their first nusinersen dose, with age range between 0.6 and 49.6 years. One-third of the entire cohort experienced at least a loss in one activity, while 60% experienced a gain, particularly notable in children aged 2.5 to 5 years and 5 to 13 years. Overall, the study demonstrates a positive impact of nusinersen treatment on SMA II patients, showing a trend of increased activity gains and decreased probability of ability loss across different age groups.

Non-negative matrix factorisation of Raman spectra finds common patterns relating to neuromuscular disease across differing equipment configurations, preclinical models and human tissue.

Raman spectroscopy shows promise as a biomarker for complex nerve and muscle (neuromuscular) diseases. To maximise its potential, several challenges remain. These include the sensitivity to different instrument configurations, translation across preclinical/human tissues and the development of multivariate analytics that can derive interpretable spectral outputs for disease identification. Nonnegative matrix factorisation (NMF) can extract features from high-dimensional data sets and the nonnegative constraint results in physically realistic outputs. In this study, we have undertaken NMF on Raman spectra of muscle obtained from different clinical and preclinical settings. First, we obtained and combined Raman spectra from human patients with mitochondrial disease and healthy volunteers, using both a commercial microscope and in-house fibre optic probe. NMF was applied across all data, and spectral patterns common to both equipment configurations were identified. Linear discriminant models utilising these patterns were able to accurately classify disease states (accuracy 70.2-84.5%). Next, we applied NMF to spectra obtained from the mdx mouse model of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy and patients with dystrophic muscle conditions. Spectral fingerprints common to mouse/human were obtained and able to accurately identify disease (accuracy 79.5-98.8%). We conclude that NMF can be used to analyse Raman data across different equipment configurations and the preclinical/clinical divide. Thus, the application of NMF decomposition methods could enhance the potential of Raman spectroscopy for the study of fatal neuromuscular diseases.

Assessing the Assisted Six-Minute Cycling Test as a Measure of Endurance in Non-Ambulatory Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Assessing endurance in non-ambulatory individuals with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) has been challenging due to limited evaluation tools. The Assisted 6-Minute Cycling Test (A6MCT) is an upper limb ergometer assessment used in other neurologic disorders to measure endurance. To study the performance of the A6MCT in the non-ambulatory SMA population, prospective data was collected on 38 individuals with SMA (13 sitters; 25 non-sitters), aged 5 to 74 years (mean = 30.3; SD = 14.1). The clinical measures used were A6MCT, Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM), Adapted Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (ATEND), and Egen Klassifikation Scale 2 (EK2). Perceived fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and effort was assessed using the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Data were analyzed for: (1) Feasibility, (2) Clinical discrimination, and (3) Associations between A6MCT with clinical characteristics and outcomes. Results showed the A6MCT was feasible for 95% of the tested subjects, discriminated between functional groups (p = 0.0086), and was significantly associated with results obtained from RULM, ATEND, EK2, and Brooke (p < 0.0001; p = 0.029; p < 0.001; p = 0.005). These findings indicate the A6MCT's potential to evaluate muscular endurance in non-ambulatory SMA individuals, complementing clinician-rated assessments. Nevertheless, further validation with a larger dataset is needed for broader application.

Establishment of a cryopreserved biobank for the Culture Collection of Freshwater Microalgae (CCMA-UFSCar), São Paulo, Brazil / Estabelecimento de um biobanco criopreservado para a Coleção de Culturas de Microalgas de Água-Doce (CCMA-UFSCar), São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract The Culture Collection of Freshwater Microalgae (CCMA-UFSCar, Coleção de Culturas de Microalgas de Água-Doce), based at the Universidade Federal de São Carlos, plays an important role in underpinning Brazilian microalgal research, providing biological materials, substrates and training personnel for a large proportion of the past and current projects in this area. However, recent efforts to expand the culture catalogue/holdings have reached a ceiling because of the logistical practicality of maintaining actively growing cultures. In order to reduce the costs associated with the maintenance regime of cultures, efforts were initiated on the establishment of a cryopreserved biobank for long term maintenance of cultures, thus minimizing the efforts associated with handling of material, as successfully frozen cultures, in theory, could be maintained effectively indefinitely, with the advantage of the stability of cells characteristics. Initial tests were performed on 93 strains including exemplar taxa across the different taxonomic groups in the collection catalogue. The highest levels of success were achieved for the smaller taxa, such as the small green algae; while for the larger and more complex organisms limited to no success was obtained. For the strains tested, over 70% had positive good levels of post-thaw viability and regenerated phenotypically normal cultures.

Resumo A Coleção de Culturas de Microalgas de Água-Doce (CCMA-UFSCar), localizada na Universidade Federal de São Carlos tem um importante papel na sustentação da pesquisa brasileira em microalgas, provendo material biológico, substratos e treinamento de pessoal para uma grande fração dos projetos atuais nessa área. Entretanto, os recentes esforços para expandir o catálogo de culturas atingiram um limite máximo em praticidade logística para a manutenção de culturas metabolicamente ativas. Buscando reduzir os custos do regime de manutenção das culturas, foi-se iniciado o estabelecimento de um banco criopreservado para a manutenção em longo prazo desses organismos, minimizando os gastos com manuseio do material, visto que culturas congeladas com sucesso podem, em teoria, serem mantidas por prazos indeterminados, ainda com a vantagem da estabilidade das características nas culturas. Testes iniciais foram realizados com 93 linhagens, incluindo organismos de diferentes grupos taxonômicos mantidos na coleção de culturas. As maiores taxas de sucesso foram observadas nos organismos menores, como as pequenas algas verdes, enquanto os organismos maiores e mais complexos obtiveram sucesso limitado. Em geral, para as linhagens testadas, acima de 70% dos organismos apresentaram resposta positiva ao processo.