DNAnexus, a DNA data management and analysis platform, has signed agreements with leading institutions – Geisinger Health System (GHS) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) – to develop clinically relevant workflows and to provide new insights into the use of DNA sequencing in medicine.

As part of these relationships, key laboratories within GHS and UCSF will leverage DNAnexus’ cloud-based software platform to upload, store and analyze DNA sequencing data. In conjunction with the Geisinger Clinical Programme for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), GHS will have access to DNAnexus’ genomic data management capabilities including visualization, analysis and storage. The healthcare organization, in turn, will provide strategic counsel around the use of WGS data in clinical settings, and the extension of DNAnexus’ capabilities to further support such use.

“At Geisinger, providing the best personalized healthcare has always been our mission, and key to that is the ability to collect and manage valuable medical information like electronic health records, blood samples and DNA sequencing data,” said Dr David Ledbetter, chief scientific officer, Geisinger Health System. “As whole genome sequencing becomes more affordable and accessible, we are eager to work with DNAnexus to find ways to manage this critical data asset and better leverage it within the clinical workflow.”

“In the past few years, the pace of development in DNA sequencing technology has been astounding, doubling in capacity even faster than the classic Moore’s law of computing,” said David J Erle, MD, UCSF professor of medicine and director of the Functional Genomics Core Facility in the UCSF Sandler Centre for Basic Research in Asthma. “That has a huge impact on our ability to understand both health and disease, but it also poses a formidable challenge. In many cases, scientists are now limited more by their ability to store and analyse the data than they are by their ability to generate it.”

These new strategic agreements further DNAnexus’ goal of delivering the definitive big data system for DNA to both the commercial and academic communities. A cloud-based solution, DNAnexus provides instant online genomics data centres for sequencing operations, research organizations, and clinical applications of virtually any size without any required hardware investment on the part of the customer. DNAnexus is supported by leading investors including Google Ventures and TPG Biotech.

“We are at the beginning of a genomics-driven revolution in healthcare, and DNAnexus is focused on providing a unified technology platform that makes managing, storing, and analysing sequencing data easier for everyone,” said Andreas Sundquist, PhD co-founder and CEO of DNAnexus. “By partnering with highly respected healthcare and research institutions like Geisinger and UCSF, we will be able to learn from clinical experts and build an even more innovative solution that will enable research, medical and biotech communities to unlock the full potential of DNA data.”

DNAnexus's mission is to unlock the potential of DNAbased medicine and biotechnology with a scalable and collaborative data technology platform.

Geisinger is an integrated health services organization widely recognized for its innovative use of the electronic health record, and the development and implementation of innovative care models including ProvenHealth Navigator, an advanced medical home model, and ProvenCare programme.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.