A Finnish bioinformatics firm with specialization in genome data management software will be on the leading edge of a new initiative across Aurora’s burgeoning medical campus.
BC Platforms announced Monday, Oct. 5, that the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus will be utilizing the firm’s data management program as part of a personalized medicine initiative aimed “at translating community genomics into individual well being,” according to a release from BC.
“A major goal of the program is to develop a proprietary biobank that complements existing, institutional tissue biorepositories and facilitates the development of diagnostic tests to promote optimal clinical decision-making and personalized treatment for patients,” the release stated. “A critical step will be combining biospecimens from patients with UCHealth’s Electronic Medical Record system for large-scale, high-throughput genomic research.
UCHealth, Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine are all partners in The Center for Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, which was among the first centers in the nation to broadly integrate genetic data into patient care. The center aims to advance predictive and preventative medical care by use of DNA and molecular testing.
BC Platforms’ software will be used “to integrate and interpret an extensive amount of genetic information for both clinical decision-making and research,” according to the release. Multiple research groups will have access to it via the Anschutz High Performance Computing Exchange (AHPCE).
“Our goal is to become leaders in the application of genomics research to transform the way we make decisions in the clinic and in our research,” said Kathleen Barnes, PhD, head of the Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the CU School of Medicine and director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine. “This initiative demonstrates the importance of collaboration between academic research programs, clinical affiliates and private industry as we work together to revolutionize medicine, research and education.”
“We are delighted to be working with CU Anschutz, a leading, U.S. institution that integrates world-class education, research and patient care, to manage and execute this transformative project,” commented Tero Silvola, BC Platforms’ Chief Executive Officer.