Taking genetic analysis to new heights with cloud technology

Unrivaled Technological Power

Geninus is a leader in next-generation precision healthcare based on genetic analysis and big data. The emerging Korean company utilizes a variety of techniques including bioinformatics (biological informatics) to provide genome diagnostic services for personalized treatments in clinical practice.

One of its most successful products is CancerSCAN, the first next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based cancer genetic diagnosis service developed in Korea. Through selective in-depth analysis of genetic information, CancerSCAN could deliver low-frequency genetic variants with high sensitivity compared to other solutions.

Nayoung Kim, Director of Geninus, said, "We analyze the genomes of cancer patients with CancerSCAN to find the best drug for them. Providing a personalized cancer solution reduces trial and error and side effects of alternating drugs. This significantly reduces healthcare costs.”

Accelerating data processing with the cloud 

The amount of human genomic data is staggering. "DNA of an individual consists of about 3 billion pairs of bases,” Director Nayoung Kim explains. “If you sequence your entire genome using Whole Genome Sequencing, this process generates more than 100GB of data "

Analyzing this amount of information requires huge processing power. "The processors needed to develop artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for genome analysis was so large that it was difficult to cover it with our own server alone,” said Nayoung Kim. “Based on our experience in research and development at Samsung Genome Institute, we knew that building our own servers and storage would be costly. It’s also difficult to secure dedicated maintenance and IT personnel.”

Key success factors for the project are stability, scalability, and flexible management. "We utilized Microsoft Azure Batch technology to meet the intensive computing tasks required for genome sequencing without worrying about infrastructure management while minimizing operational costs," says Donghyun Park, Director of Geninus. “With Microsoft Azure SQL Database and Microsoft Azure Storage, we've been able to handle massive amounts of data quickly and cost-effectively on a scale that's hard to operate with internal on-premise infrastructure.” 

Utilizing the cloud also freed the company to focus on its core activities. “With Microsoft Azure, Geninus has an optimal environment to focus only on its main business genome analysis and technology development,” Director Park also said. “Infrastructure operations and supporting elements are handled by those with expertise in them."

High-tech healthcare, a key asset of social contribution  

Recently, Geninus pioneered LiquidSCAN, a liquid biopsy service that diagnoses cancer. LiquidSCAN uses blood to analyze DNA to diagnose or monitor cancer. Compared to tissue biopsies, the technology enables diagnosis and monitoring of cancer in a non-invasive way.

"We will make all-out efforts to systematically expand the development of new drugs, utilizing companion diagnostics and single-cell analysis technology. The use of genomic big data and AI technology is critical for all patients, not just for the future of Geninus,” said Woong-Yang Park, CEO. “The more solutions and treatments are developed through data analysis, the more medical staff and patients can benefit from systematic and precise medical services.”

At the same time, CEO Park expressed his ambition to contribute to society through technological expansion. "These studies using cloud technology are a big trend that ultimately leads to increased public health. We want to become 'The First' to produce valuable solutions that can contribute to humanity beyond Korea."