GenomeQuest and SGI have collaborated to offer whole-genome analysis (WGA) services for researchers, which the companies claim is the world's first such service offering. As a result, pharmaceutical companies, core labs, biotechs, government agencies, and clinics now have direct access to whole-genome processing previously found only inside genome centres combined with comprehensive, self-serve analysis.
GenomeQuest and SGI co-developed a software and hardware architecture that is optimised for next generation sequencing and enables whole-genome scale and performance. Based on this architecture, the WGA services are available through the just-upgraded GenomeQuest data centre or deployed directly into a customer data centre, as may be required by larger accounts, core labs, and clinics.
The WGA services allow whole-genome/exome research teams to: store, manage, and compare their sequences and annotations; assemble and align sequences from any instrument; interactively query and analyse their runs and projects; and integrate with other tools/systems through an all-level API.
'Data analysis is recognised as the bottleneck of whole-genome research. Traditionally, researchers receive static reports for their sequence runs which, at today's volumes, are impossible to analyse and increasingly siloed,' said Jean-Jacques Codani, GenomeQuest chief scientific officer. 'From its inception, the GQ Engine has provided researchers with rich, interactive reports and the ability to integrate and re-analyse with other work. Now, with SGI's long-standing experience in high-performance computing, we have found the bow that best fits our arrow for WGA scale services.'
