CARLSBAD, Calif., June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific today announced that submissions are now open for the Oncomine Clinical Research Grant program to support clinical research projects in oncology. This grant aims to provide funding for high-quality molecular profiling studies focusing on the impact of immune-based treatments for cancer patients.

Through the Oncomine Clinical Research Grant program, Thermo Fisher will award selected independent clinical research teams with financial support worth up to $200,000 in reagents and general funding. The applications will be reviewed and evaluated by independent and internationally recognized experts. Grant proposals are now being accepted through July 16, 2021.

"The goal of immunotherapy is to provide the immune system with tools to recognize and fight cancers," said José Luis Costa, Ph.D., director of medical affairs for clinical next-generation sequencing and oncology at Thermo Fisher. "To ensure more patients may benefit from revolutionary immunotherapy-based drugs, further investigation is needed to validate predictive biomarkers that can be used to help identify treatment-eligible individuals. Through the Oncomine Grant program, we're proud to provide support for cutting-edge projects to advance this promising area of research and possibly improve cancer patients' overall management."

Since its launch in 2020, the Oncomine Clinical Research Grant has been awarded to eight projects worldwide, supporting research in areas including fusion genes detection in solid cancer and hemato-oncology. The most recent Oncomine Clinical Research Grant call focused on advancing research in liquid biopsy, for which four proposals were selected for funding. Grant recipients include Stephen Fox, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia; Giulia Siravegna, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston; Beatriz Bellosillo, Hospital del Mar, Spain; and Leomar Y. Ballester, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston.

"This grant will allow us to efficiently characterize circulating free tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from ascites fluid in gastric cancer patients and compare it with matched peripheral blood ctDN," said Dr. Giulia Siravegna, research staff, Massachusetts General Hospital Center and instructor in medicine, Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine. "The use of ascitic fluid as a source for predictive and prognostic biomarkers is highly innovative and the ability to further our research in this area with the Oncomine Clinical Research Grant will allow for rapid clinical translation and impactful patient results."

For more information on the Oncomine Clinical Research Grant Program and how to submit proposals, please visit  www.oncomine.com/grants.

*For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $30 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 80,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific