NanoString® Technologies Inc. announced that it has secured an option to an worldwide license for a 186-gene signature that could be used to determine the prognosis of patients diagnosed with the most common type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or with hepatitis C-related early-stage cirrhosis. HCC is the third cause of cancer mortality worldwide and Hepatitis C cirrhosis-related HCC is the most rapidly increasing cause of cancer related death in the United States. NanoString secured the option to an exclusive worldwide license from the Broad Institute.

The Broad Institute announced that Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. will become the next chairman of the Broad Institute's Board of Directors. Gerstner succeeds outgoing Broad Institute chair Diana Chapman Walsh, who will continue to serve on the board, assuming the role of vice chair. Following his leadership of IBM, Gerstner served as chairman of The Carlyle Group. Prior to joining IBM, he was chairman and CEO of RJR Nabisco Inc.

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard announced that Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. will become the next chairman of the Broad Institute's Board of Directors. Mr. Gerstner served as CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation from 1993 to 2002. He is widely recognized as the chief architect of the company's transformation, reinventing both its organization and its culture. Mr. Gerstner succeeds outgoing Broad Institute chair Diana Chapman Walsh, who will continue to serve on the board, assuming the role of vice chair. Following his leadership of IBM, Mr. Gerstner served as chairman of The Carlyle Group. Prior to joining IBM, he was chairman and CEO of RJR Nabisco Inc.