BC Platforms is a Finnish research-intensive SME. We have delivered collaborative genetic research database systems for many EU Framework Programme (FP) funded projects as a subcontractor. We are also an SME partner in SUMMIT and GEN2PHEN. BC Platforms will start as an SME partner in three newly funded FP7 EU HEALTH projects, beginning this autumn 2011.
We are interested in new partnership and subcontracting possibilities in the fields of bioinformatics, genetic epidemiology & statistical genetics, biobanking and personalized medicine.
SUMMIT (Surrogate markers for micro- and macro-vascular hard endpoints for innovative diabetes tools) is a pan-European research consortium funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). The IMI is a public/private partnership between the European Commission (EC) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). SUMMIT brings together the scientific expertise and clinical resources from 19 leading universities and research institutes, four pharmaceutical companies and one small or medium sized enterprise (BC Platforms Ltd).
SUMMIT plans to systematically identify genetic risk factors for chronic diabetic complications. A collection of patient samples from a variety of cohorts will be analyzed by high-throughput techniques (e.g. genotyping by DNA microarrays) and both patient samples and newly discovered genotypes will be applied for biomarker discovery. The goal is to deliver a set of biomarkers able to better predict disease progression and drug effects and thereby to shorten the time required for clinical trials and drug approval. In accordance with the IMI research agenda, SUMMIT will help to accelerate the process of bringing new medicines to patients by increasing the efficiency and reduce the cost of medicine development.
BC Platforms delivers the customized central database system for the project, including user training and ongoing support. A database server is connected to a calculation resource enabling highly efficient data analysis. All project background and foreground data are collected into the central database and shared with various investigators on a need-to-know basis. Since all of the data analysis can be performed inside the system framework, there is no need to export and distribute copies of the data, thus enabling a high level of data security. A comprehensive database audit trail and logfile functionality, together with legal agreements, ensures safe data-sharing and provides for an efficient research collaboration environment.
The GEN2PHEN project aims to unify human and model organism genetic variation databases towards increasingly holistic views into Genotype-To-Phenotype (G2P) data, and to link this system into other biomedical knowledge sources via genome browser functionality.
BC Platforms' role as an SME partner is to develop and integrate Gen2Phen tools into our software platforms, in order to provide for a two-way data exchange between our database platforms and the Gen2Phen Knowledge Center. This will result in efficient distribution of the project data and results to our customer base.
Dogs tend to suffer from the same range of diseases as humans, but the genetic complexity of diseases within a breed is reduced as a consequence of inbreeding. Due to a significant level of linkage disequilibrium in dog breeds (i.e., non-random allelic association), the number of SNP markers needed to perform whole genome scans at least ten-fold lower than that needed to perform similar studies for human disease-gene association. The LUPA initiative is a European research project gathering experts in genomics to take advantage of this extraordinary genetic model. Veterinary clinics from 12 European countries are collecting DNA samples from large cohorts of dogs suffering from a range of well-defined diseases of relevance to human health. This innovative approach to providing insights into the pathogenesis of common human diseases, by using the dog model, will accelerate identification of important human disease genes - the project's primary goal.
As a subcontractor, BC Platforms has delivered the central database system for the project, including user training and ongoing support. Phenotype and genetic data are stored to the server, and shared when needed. The database server is connected to a calculation resource enabling efficient data analysis.
The aim of the DIABIMMUNE project is to assess the role of the hygiene hypothesis in the development of immune-mediated diseases. Type 1 diabetes (juvenile onset diabetes) is a primary target of this study. The overall goal of the study is to define the mechanisms behind the potential protective effect conferred by microbial agents. The study design comprises two cohorts: a birth cohort and a cohort comprising young children. The objective is to study 2,000 children between 3 to 5 years old, and to observe 320 newborn infants with an increased genetic risk for autoimmune disease, from birth up to the age of 3 years. The estimated number of study subjects will altogether be approximately 7,000 with Finland, Russian Karelia and Estonia each contributing around 2,320 subjects. The project is funded by the European Commission (FP7).
As a subcontractor, BC Platforms has delivered a customized clinical data collection system for the project. Data from three centers (Finland, Estonia, and Russia) are directly entered to the central database located in Finland.
DENFREE
The main goal of the DENFREE (Dengue research Framework for Resisting Epidemics in Europe) project is to find key factors determining dengue transmission and dynamics in order to develop new tools and strategies for controlling dengue transmission. Project will generate predictive models about the epidemics, and also aim to develop an easy-to-use point of care diagnostic tool that is sensitive to detect virus in both human and mosquito samples.
Mission Statement, why BC?
EU FP Projects
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