GE Global Research of Niskayuna, N.Y., and GE Healthcare of Giles, UK — both divisions of General Electric Co. — have announced a research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co. of Indianapolis. Scheduled to last three years, the agreement seeks to bring about the discovery and development of advanced in vitro diagnostic assays to predict cancer treatment efficacy in patient populations. Using GE’s automated image-analysis technology to examine tissues and to determine which patients are likely to respond to the medications, Lilly hopes to identify biomarkers for two of its targeted cancer therapeutics. GE will gain access to clinical tissue samples.