加拿大Genizon Biosciences?
位于加拿大蒙特利爾省的Genizon BioSciences生物科學公司利用5萬個被試建立了魁北克法裔加拿大人的群系,大大擴大其擁有的DNA的樣品量,他們同時還對25種疾病的遺傳基礎進行研究。這家公司完成了10種疾病的全基因組掃描,其中包括克羅恩病、哮喘、阿爾茨海默氏病、和注意力缺失/過動癥等。
Genizon生物科學公司的IT構架整合了一個FDA兼容的LabVantage Sapphire LIMS構架、一個包含電子數據捕捉和信號兼容的eResearch技術臨床數據庫管理系統、一個32-千兆的網絡存儲、和一個288-CPU的計算網格,進行他們需要的數據分析。Genizon生物科學公司的軟件構架的領航者Borivoj (Bora) Stojkovic說,他們公司以積極的策略來應對無限膨脹的SNP密度和GWA樣品的規模。他們模擬大規模數據,測試并開發新的方法預先突破未來可能出現的瓶頸。Stojkovic說,由于在數據壓縮方面有經驗,“我們把壓縮后的數據加載到內存。這樣的話,既可以使用全部的數據,又不必占滿整個內存空間。同時,我們把內存空間進行分割,把小的數據集分配其中。”通過把數據集分配到更小的塊中,利用多個CPU處理不同的塊。
Stojkovic 說,Genizon生物科學公司的最新壓縮策略能夠把公司的文件存儲覆蓋區降低到原來的二十分之一。對于有不同計算強度需求的分析,他們能夠做到在流程涉及到的網格和機群中分配數據庫。公司的內部網格能夠在機群的數千個CPU上自動分配數據。為了管理不同類型的數據,他們把內部數據格式標準化,通過轉換過濾器把外部進來的數據進行過濾,實現標準化轉換。
然而,Stojkovic強調說,雖然分布式或者網格計算的各種方法確實很有效,但是現在最重要的困難是如何把計算的思想過程和算法流程實現流水線化并進一步地優化,以提高整個系統的整合程度和關聯度,并且使語言和流程更加緊湊、精練。
Genizon Biosciences Inc. discovers genes and biomarkers in common diseases using genome wide association studies (GWAS), leveraging its proven and proprietary technology platform and access to patients from the Quebec Founder Population.
Genizon has one of the largest GWAS programs worldwide, addressing many common diseases and traits. Several of these have been successfully completed, generating comprehensive maps of interacting genes, biomarkers and biological disease pathways (known as GeneMaps), providing strong validation of the power of the Company’s discovery platform.
Genizon has out-licensed some of the therapeutic and diagnostic rights to GeneMaps for Crohn’s disease (to Genentech) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, endometriosis and Alzheimer’s disease (disease-state diagnostic rights to Pfizer). GeneMaps have also been generated from GWAS in schizophrenia, psoriasis and longevity. GWAS are in progress for rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and coronary heart disease and its precursors, obesity, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension (collectively metabolic syndrome).
Genizon’s technology platform and discoveries can complement current R&D programs by using human genetics to significantly enhance research and by adding value at multiple stages of the drug development process.
Genizon is continually developing and enhancing its gene and biomarker discovery platform. For example, the company is assessing the role of copy number variations (CNVs) in diseases- applying new methods to ongoing large-scale GWAS in rheumatoid arthritis and metabolic syndrome, and retrospectively to previous studies.
Genizon also leverages its platform and expertise by offering high throughput, high quality SNP genotyping, statistical genetics, gene expression and pharmacogenomics services to academic institutions, research organizations and the biopharmaceutical industry.
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