via Johns Hopkins University
Creation of Johns Hopkins-led team allows worldwide scientific collaboration for studies of human genetics and health
Harnessing the power of genomics to find risk factors for major diseases or search for relatives relies on the costly and time-consuming ability to analyze huge numbers of genomes. A team co-led by a Johns Hopkins University computer scientist has leveled the playing field by creating a cloud-based platform that grants researchers easy access to one of the world’s largest genomics databases.
Known as AnVIL (Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-space), the new platform gives any researcher with an Internet connection access to thousands of analysis tools, patient records, and more than 300,000 genomes. The work, a project of the National Human Genome Institute, appears today in Cell Genomics.
“AnVIL is inverting the model of genomics data sharing, offering unprecedented new opportunities for science by connecting researchers and datasets in new ways and promising to enable exciting new discoveries,” said project co-leader Michael Schatz, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of computer science and biology at Johns Hopkins.
Michael Schatz
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor
Typically, genomic analysis starts with researchers downloading massive amounts of data from centralized warehouses to their own data centers, a process that is not only time-consuming, inefficient, and expensive, but also makes collaborating with researchers at other institutions difficult. Genetic risk factors for ailments such as cancer or cardiovascular disease are often very subtle, so researchers must analyze thousands of patients’ genomes to discover new associations. The raw data for a single human genome comprises about 40GB, so downloading thousands of genomes to conduct such research can take takes several days to several weeks.
“AnVIL will be transformative for institutions of all sizes, especially smaller institutions that don’t have the resources to build their own data centers. It is our hope that AnVIL levels the playing field, so that everyone has equal access to make discoveries,” Schatz said.
In addition, studies requiring the integration of data collected at multiple institutions means each institution must download its own copy while ensuring that patient-data security is maintained. This challenge is expected to become even greater in the future, as researchers embark on ever-larger studies requiring the analysis of hundreds of thousands to millions of genomes at once.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Genomics databases
- International dairy science collaboration paves the way for tomorrow's resilient dairy herds
In a new Journal of Dairy Science study, researchers have increased the quantity and quality of the available data on genetic traits related to feed efficiency and methane emissions ...
- BioAro Announces a Medical and Computing Breakthrough by Launching the 'World's Fastest' Real-Time Genomic Software 'PanOmiQ'
BioAro, a pioneer in genomic research and technology, is set to officially launch PanOmiQ, a revolutionary software that will redefine the landscape of genomic analysis globally by providing real-time ...
- Unveiling the genetic blueprint of safflower
A research team has completed a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the Chuanhonghua 1 safflower genome. This work sheds light on the genetic underpinnings of crucial traits like linoleic acid ...
- Huge genetic study redraws the tree of life for flowering plants
Using genomic data from more than 9500 species, biologists have mapped the evolutionary relationships between flowering plants ...
- ‘Interpol’ database for parrots caught in illegal wildlife trade
Parrots are, by number, among the most trafficked bird in the illegal wildlife trade, motivating Olah, from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University (ANU), to ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Genomics databases
[google_news title=”” keyword=”genomics databases” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Genomics data
- MGI Tech opens Customer Experience Center in Brazil to contribute to the advancement of genomics in Latin America
Contributing to the advancement of genomics in Latin America, MGI Tech Co. Ltd. (MGI), a company committed to building core tools and technology to lead life science, announced the launch of its ...
- Leadership War Breaks Out in 23andMe Data Breach Case 'At the Crossroads'
Lawyers ramped up their fight over how to manage the 23andMe Inc. data breach litigation, disagreeing on everything from whether to immediately settle the cases to handling class members who are ...
- Analysis identifies 50 new genomic regions associated with kidney cancer risk
In a new analysis of genetic susceptibility to kidney cancer, an international team of researchers has identified 50 new areas across the genome that are associated with the risk of developing kidney ...
- Quantum Computing Meets Genomics: The Dawn of Hyper-Fast DNA Analysis
A new project unites world-leading experts in quantum computing and genomics to develop new methods and algorithms to process biological data. Researchers aim to harness quantum computing to speed up ...
- Data arms Africa’s fight against malaria
African countries use data-driven approaches to battle malaria, maximising impact with limited resources. Tailored approach shows promise in ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Genomics data
[google_news title=”” keyword=”genomics data” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]