Cambridge startup will democratize access to the world’s largest cancer genomics datasets.

Cambridge, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/24/2014 --Seven Bridges Genomics, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a 5.8 million dollar contract as a part of the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Genomics Cloud Pilot Initiative. The goal of the project is to increase the speed of biomedical discovery by democratizing access to the world’s largest cancer genomics datasets.

The initiative will develop a cloud-based infrastructure for data sets such as The Cancer Genome Atlas, which is expected to exceed 2.5 petabytes this year. While the quantity of genomic data available to researchers is expanding rapidly, researchers lack effective methods to disseminate and mine genomic data at this scale.

Recognizing this need, the NCI announced a request for input in April 2013 on how to build a cloud solution that could support co-localized data storage and computation - the resulting project was coined the NCI Cancer Genomics Cloud Pilots. After a comprehensive review process, contracts were awarded to Seven Bridges Genomics, The Broad Institute, and the Institute for Systems Biology. These groups will each now spend the next two years developing and implementing cloud solutions to meet the challenges of integrative, big data cancer genomics.

Seven Bridges holds the distinction of being the only commercial organization to participate in the initiative. Since 2009, the company’s primary focus has been to realize the core promise of dynamic cloud-based architectures to accelerate biomedical research.

“With more than 14 million people in the US living with cancer, it is critical that we build a solution that matches the scale of the challenge. The Cancer Genomics Cloud will enable cancer researchers to utilize genomic data and work towards making personalized medicine a reality,” explained Founder and CEO Deniz Kural. “Our Platform democratizes genomics research and allows anyone with an Internet connection to access and analyze these massive datasets.”

The Seven Bridges team will focus on adapting its sophisticated cloud computing platform to meet the specific needs of cancer researchers. Built on top of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) HIPAA-compliant cloud, the Seven Bridges Platform enables optimized storage and computation, and facilitates reproducible research through a refined provenance tracking system. Additionally, a visualization suite and data-miner allow researchers to explore complex multidimensional datasets to extract biologically meaningful insights.

“Seven Bridges Genomics has assembled a strong team of scientists to build an innovative platform for the NCI Cloud Genomics Pilot,” said Matt Wood, General Manager, Data Science at Amazon Web Services, Inc. “With high scale and low cost, cloud computing is quickly becoming the 'new normal' for genomics applications. We're excited to support the work of Seven Bridges Genomics in this important initiative.”

Work on the NCI Cancer Genomics Cloud will begin immediately with initial implementation in early 2015. Researchers can sign up to receive updates, apply to be alpha users, and help shape the development of the Seven Bridges’ Cancer Genomics Cloud pilot at www.sbgenomics.com/cancer-genomics-cloud.

About Seven Bridges Genomics, Inc.
Seven Bridges Genomics, Inc. was founded in 2009 with the mission of developing a dynamic computing infrastructure to accelerate biomedical research. SBG deployed the first commercial cloud genomics platform on the market in 2011. Seven Bridges’ expertise in both cloud information technology and bioinformatics is infused throughout its award-winning platform. The platform is used by universities, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and governmental institutions to store and analyze genomic data. For more information, visit www.sbgenomics.com.

Project Funding
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN261201400008C.