Meet the sponsor: BC Platforms
We check in with our primary sponsor, BC Platforms to find out what they can offer Biobanks and what you can speak to them about at UK Biobanking Showcase this year.
In a nutshell, who are BC Platforms?
BC Platforms is a bioinformatics company specializing in secure genomic data management and interpretation. From Data to Personalized Health, we bring doctors, scientists, bioinformaticians, data managers, and biobanks together in order for them to understand the power of their data. It can then be applied to further scientific Research and Development to develop targeted therapies for patients.
What do you do?
As a world leader in secure genomic data management and analytics, BC Platforms uses streamlined solutions for data governance in a safe environment with a global biobank network for data sharing and collaboration to advance scientific innovation. The company has launched and opened this global network of biobanks, known as BCRQUEST.COM, to provide genomic and clinical cohort data for pharmaceutical and medical research and development. BC Platforms’ vision is to build the world’s leading analytics platform for healthcare and industry, providing access to diverse genomic and clinical data and samples from more than 5 million subjects consolidated from a global network of biobanks.
Founded in 1997 from an MIT Whitehead project spinoff, the Company has a strong scientific heritage underpinned by 20 years of working in close collaboration with a network of leading researchers, developers, biobanks, manufacturers and vendors. BC Platforms has global operations with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, research and development in Helsinki, Finland, and sales and marketing in London, Boston, and Vancouver.
How do you support Biobanking?
With over 20 years of experience in securely managing genomic data, BC Platforms has developed unique technology capable of providing data discovery users (research teams) tools to browse and analyze summary level information from data providers (biobanks), who have subscribed to the service. It is a safe and confidential environment for researchers to seek suitable patient cohorts within biobanks worldwide. The service gives academia and industry communication tools to conduct research proposals, coordinate collaboration, and request data and samples.
Specifically, our BC|RQUEST.com tool enables biobanks to connect their data to a secure platform which shares information with users in an aggregated format. The data is anonymized, remaining in the original biobank’s control and residing inside their own firewall. All users of the platform are known and the query log files are monitored. With this system, biobanks can select which data from their collections to showcase in a secure and compliant manner and gain visibility to world’s largest pharmaceutical R&D teams. The life science industry also benefits through more efficient insights from this global pool of harmonized biobank data, leading to shortened R&D timelines and a direct communication link with biobanks for future research projects.
What can guests speak to you about at the event?
BC Platforms encourages discussions around data sharing and security in a global biobank network. Our company can speak to industry challenges faced by biobanks, mainly those surrounding secure data governance and sharing across institutions. Biobanks stand as scientific excellence, yet there are still strides to be made in gaining exposure to partnerships and funding, maintaining sustainability and finding a safe environment for
collaboration and data sharing. We can address the need for a system of secure data sharing across institutions. We see a general shift towards more collaborations, business and biobank partnerships, and a definite demand for the global biobank network that BC Platforms has developed.
Anything exciting coming up in the world of BC Platforms?
This month, BC Platforms announces the addition of National Institute for Health and Welfare Terveyden ja Hyyvinvoinnin laitos (THL) to its Global Network of Biobanks. This new partnership will link and integrate THL data sources to one bioanalytics platform in order to support scientific research in the public interest, beginning by linking disease specific data first, entering around 50K donors into the network of biobank data available.
For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter @BCPlatforms or come and say hello to us at UK Biobanking Showcase 2018!