GenomSys Gains CE Mark for New Genomic Analysis Software

Original from: Genomeweb

GenomSys said Wednesday that it has received CE marking for the GenomSys Variant Analyzer. The genomic analysis software adheres to the MPEG-G genomic data representation and compression standard, which GenomSys has championed.

The GenomSys Variant Analyzer integrates curated variant databases from Varsome to automate genome annotation. According to GenomSys, a startup specializing in DNA data processing software, the use of MPEG-G helps the new product deliver faster data access time and smaller storage requirements. 

"We designed GenomSys Variant Analyzer for the analysis of the vast amount of data generated by whole-exome sequencing to support geneticists in deciphering the causes of rare disorders," CSO Luca Trotta said in a statement.

The product initially will be available only in Europe. Lausanne, Switzerland-based GenomSys will show its new offering at the BioData World Congress next week in Basel, Switzerland. 

GenomSys was heavily involved in the development of MPEG-G, the genomics version of the same MPEG associated with the MP3 format for digital audio and the MPEG-4 specification for compressing video files.

The company received a CE mark in March for its MPEG-G Codec Suite, a group of software tools for processing genomic data following MPEG-G.

In August, GenomSys announced a multiyear collaboration agreement with Royal Philips to codevelop software and applications based on MPEG-G.

Claudio Alberti, chief technology officer and cofounder of GenomSys, previously told GenomeWeb that with MPEG-G compression, an exome sequence needs just 1.5 gigabytes of storage, making it easily fit on a smartphone. He said that a whole genome might take up 10 to 15 GB, though current iterations of the GenomSys software have not attempted to process whole genomes yet. 

However, MPEG-G, an International Organization for Standardization specification, has been met with skepticism by some who believe that the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) is the best standards-setting body for the bioinformatics world.

Source: GenomSys Gains CE Mark for New Genomic Analysis Software