Genestack data excellence harnessed for US initiative

The BioConductor program, a widely used open-source software project, provides tools for the analysis and comprehension of high-throughput genomic data. However, the process of curating and managing such data can be time-consuming and complex so the partners aim to address these challenges.

Founded over 12 years ago by Dr Misha Kapushesky, previously Functional Genomics group leader at the European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge UK, Genestack has risen to become a global leader in life science data management and governance.

Its flagship product, Open Data Manager (ODM), is said to accelerate discoveries and help catalogue, curate, and harmonise complex life science R & D data, enabling delivery quickly and at scale. Genestack says researchers will be able to easily upload, organise, and annotate their genomic data, reducing the time and effort required for data management and analysis.

Sehyun Oh, Assistant Professor at City University of New York, said: “Our project aims to enhance the AI/ML readiness of publicly accessible omics data with a particular emphasis on enhancing metadata quality.

“Led by the team at the City University of New York, we are closely collaborating with Bioconductor and multiple institutions, including the University of Colorado, the University of Trento, and Northeastern University.

“We chose ODM as our primary metadata curation tool for several reasons. First, defining and maintaining the data schema is highly intuitive. We also appreciate ODM’s seamless integration of ontologies.

“By integrating Genestack’s platform with the BioConductor program, CUNY and Genestack aim to provide curators at the five prestigious global universities with a seamless experience in data curation. This integration will enable these curators to directly access and utilise Genestack’s advanced data management tools to empower public data curation in support of the BioConductor program, eliminating the need for manual data transfer and reducing potential errors.”

Leo Whyte, Head of Customer Growth at Genestack explained: “We’re delighted to be working with CUNY and Bioconductor to bring well curated public data sets to the community in readiness for the paradigm shift that is AI/ML/LLMs.

“This partnership will not only drive better quality AI models but also introduce the next generation of scientists to what high quality data curation looks like and how easy it can actually be.”