RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – 7 August 2012 – ILS is pleased to announce that Dr. Leslie Recio has been appointed to Director, Genomics for ILS’ newly formed Genomics division. In this role, Dr. Recio will be responsible for facilitating the scientific direction of the company, development and expansion of core competencies, and identifying and integrating new technology platforms.
“ILS Genomics scientists and staff are committed to delivering cutting-edge technology and expertise to our clients. One example of this customer contribution is Les’ expertise who individually has authored/co-authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications,” said Sam Tetlow, General Manager, ILS Genomics and Chief Business Officer, ILS. “Deepening our extensive knowledge base coupled with dedication to quality services for our customers are both top priorities. The investment ILS has made in Formalin and Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) extraction techniques for use in gene expression profiling, in collaboration with others’ Next Generation Sequencing, is one example of our scientific focus and Les’ scientific leadership.”
ILS Genomics has served 23 of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies in the world and delivered services that range from research-stage to manufacturing, and include clinical-grade work under current Good Laboratory Practices and current Good Manufacturing Practices in the US. The facility also holds quality certificates from European Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
“As a team, we are always seeking new ways to improve scientific expertise. An important area we have focused on is improving and validating FFPE extraction methods from FFPE tissue samples for quantitative gene expression analysis,” said Dr. Leslie Recio, Director of Genomics. “Utilizing tissues from a patient biopsy or diagnostic sample can rapidly provide the needed genomic data to guide clinical trials or course of therapy.”
“Furthermore, the capability to conduct quantitative gene expression profiling from FFPE samples greatly extends the benefit of tissue banks of samples that exist in repositories for biomarker development,” said Dr. Recio. “The impact of providing validated technologies for gene expression profiling from FFPE samples using traditional expression profiling technologies and next generation sequencing, can provide the “in–time” genomic data needed for rapid decision making needed at all stages of drug development, improve the benefit of archived study samples already banked and can reduce or eliminate the need for additional studies. This is just one example of how ILS and ILS Genomics provide state-of-the-art science for customer’s benefit.”
Dr. Recio also serves as Division Director of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology Division (GMTD) of ILS. Dr. Recio has over twenty five years of investigative toxicology research in the areas of mutagenesis, toxicogenomics and regulatory based genotoxicity assessment. Dr. Recio research has focused on assessing human genetic susceptibility to carcinogenic exposure using a number of transgenic models and human cell culture systems. At ILS, Dr. Recio’s group has recently focused on the use of stem cells as potential reproductive and developmental toxicity models for toxicology safety assessment. The ILS GMTD supports the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) genetic toxicology testing program and conducts GLP compliant studies that meet specific OECD test guidelines and internationally recognized genetic toxicology test batteries. In addition to meeting current testing guidelines, the division is positioned to meet changes to the international genetic toxicology test battery. In 2012, Dr. Recio was appointed as part of an OECD Expert Group charged with the revising and developing new genetic toxicology OECD test guidelines.
Dr. Recio obtained his B.S. in Microbiology, as well as his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Toxicology from the University of Kentucky and is board certified in general toxicology.
About ILS and ILS Genomics
Advancing Science, Improving Lives. ILS is a leading life sciences services company that provides research support to federal and commercial clients. Among ILS’ core capabilities are investigative toxicology, genetic toxicology, molecular biology, histopathology, and environmental and information science services. These services are provided to a host of clients, including leading life sciences companies and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Based in Research Triangle Park, NC, ILS was founded by Chairman Dr. Thomas. K. Rao in 1985 and has 170 employees. For more information about ILS Genomics, visit www.ilsgenomics.com and ILS at http://www.ils-inc.com.
Contact:
Sam C. Tetlow
Chief Business Officer, ILS
General Manager, ILS Genomics
(919) 281-1110 x748
stetlow@ils-inc.com
