癌症空間基因體學研究資助計畫

The grant program offers the chance to process up to 2 slides using MERSCOPE pre-designed PanCancer Pathways or Immuno-Oncology panel on the MERSCOPE platform located at Taipei in Taiwan. A total of one applicant will be selected to run up to 2 slides. This grant covers data generated up to the point of primary analysis. Blossom and Vizgen are not responsible for secondary analysis of the data.

Grant applications will commence on 2024/10/1 at 9am and will close on 2024/11/29 at 5pm Taiwan time. Applications can only be submitted online through 2024 MERSCOPE Cancer Grant Program landing page (https://www.blossombio.com/events/2024MERSCOPECancerGrantProgram/index.php) to be considered.

Sample Quality Control (QC) will need to be performed on the samples to be run on the MERSCOPE prior to sending them to Blossom for processing. This will involve extracting RNA from the same or similar tissue block to be used, running it on an Agilent TapeStation system and assessing the RNA Integrity Number (RIN) or DV200 value. Samples must meet the MERSCOPE QC requirements to qualify for the grant program.

Successful applicants will need to supply a 10Tb hard drive to facilitate the transfer of the MERSCOPE sample verification and MERFISH run data. The costs of acquiring the hard drive and shipping it to and from Blossom will be at the applicant’s expense.

Successful applicants will be selected by an expert panel selected from Blossom and Vizgen. Blossom will notify the successful applicant via email before 5pm Taiwan time on 2025/1/3. If the successful applicant does not respond and accept the grant before 5pm local time 2025/1/10, the grant may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected at Blossom discretion. Successful applicants must prepare, pack their samples according to the instructions given by Blossom and Vizgen within 30 business days and then inform Blossom to pick up the samples. Shipping costs will be covered by Blossom.

By applying for this grant, applicants are giving consent to Blossom and Vizgen as follows:

1. Successful applicants name, biographical information, likeness, the name of the applicant’s institution or company, and the project title (excluding further project details) may, without further compensation, be published on Blossom and Vizgen’s website(s) and at Blossom and Vizgen’s discretion, through social media. By accepting the prize, each winner grants to Blossom and Vizgen, on behalf of the winner and the winner’s institution or company, the right, at any time and from time to time, to print, publish, broadcast, and use, worldwide and in any media now known or hereafter developed (including, but not limited to, social media, the Internet, and the world wide web), the winning applicant’s name, biographical information (if provided by the applicant), image or likeness, the name of the winning applicant’s institution or company, and the project title (excluding further project details).
2. Applicants agree to be contacted with regards products and services offered, regardless of whether the application is successful or not.

Blossom and Vizgen do not take any responsibility regarding the legal relationship between the applicants and their respective internal organisation. Successful applicants take full responsibility in the event of any legal dispute.

Blossom and Vizgen are not responsible for any direct or indirect damages that may result from participation in or awarding of this program. Blossom and Vizgen are not responsible for any loss, delay, theft, illegal, inaccurate, delayed or misrepresented items or anything caused by computer, internet, email, telephone or technical malfunctions.

The successful applicant agrees to present the results from the proposed study in one or more publications. Blossom and Vizgen will have the right to review the data together with the scientists. If the applicant does not publish the results within 4 months of receiving the data, Blossom and Vizgen may decide to use the results to create marketing materials based on the joint review. Additionally, the winning applicant will (a) present the results in a joint forum co-hosted by Blossom and Vizgen at a date and time to be determined. It is expected that the results of these studies will lead ultimately to high-profile publications and be presented at international conferences, (b) provide Blossom and Vizgen with a copy of any publication that uses data supplied by Blossom not less than 30 days prior to the date of publication, and (c) acknowledge Blossom contribution to the generation of the data in such publication. The applicant acknowledges that the data supplied by Blossom is experimental in nature and uses such data at the applicant’s own risk. Blossom total liability to the successful applicant in relation to the grant program shall be limited to the amount of fees paid by the applicant to Blossom.

Blossom and Vizgen reserve the right to suspend, modify, cancel or terminate the program without prior notice if it deems it to impair the legality or fairness of the program.

The contents of this program are subject to change due to Blossom or Vizgen circumstances.