{"id":6893,"date":"2021-08-23T03:49:44","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T03:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca\/ip-education\/?post_type=spotlight&p=6893"},"modified":"2021-09-03T19:05:34","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T19:05:34","slug":"this-is-the-place-to-accelerate-genetic-research","status":"publish","type":"spotlight","link":"https:\/\/entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca\/ip-education\/spotlight\/this-is-the-place-to-accelerate-genetic-research\/","title":{"rendered":"This is the place to accelerate genetic research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n spotlight<\/a> <\/div>\n \n\n

This is the place to accelerate genetic research<\/h1>\n\n
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DNAstack creates genomics software that makes it easier to share data, helping scientists find faster solutions to conditions like autism and COVID-19.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DNAstack is a company born from compassion and the desire to help. In 2014, Marc Fiume, then a graduate student in computer science at U of T, was thinking about his best friend Dan, who has cystic fibrosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The underlying cause of illness and how it manifests in different people is challenging to understand. In some cases, such as cystic fibrosis, a change in a single gene causes the disease. In others, multiple genes, interactions between genes, or interactions between genetics and the person\u2019s environment play a role. Fiume realized that his field \u2013 computer science \u2013 would eventually play a vital role in the search for diagnosing and treating complex conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fiume started DNAstack with fellow U of T alumnus James Vlasblom and co-founders Ryan Cook and Miro Cupak. Today, Fiume is an adjunct professor in the department of molecular genetics at U of T and DNAstack is a thriving company whose software enables searching, accessing and analyzing genomic and biomedical data, accelerating research into everything from autism to COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting up at U of T played a big part in building successful genomics software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

U of T\u2019s entrepreneurship ecosystem played a key role in DNAstack\u2019s growth, providing office space on campus and mentoring connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a health-tech company, so the proximity to the University\u2019s affiliated and world-leading research hospitals definitely had an impact,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s fantastic to have adopters of your technology on your street.\u201d He also found it useful to be immersed in the ecosystem at Canada\u2019s top university, where a lot of the leading genomics and computer science research is happening. \u201cThe geography played a big part in our ability to start the company, because we were so close to brilliant collaborators,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentorship and networking help from U of T Entrepreneurship linked DNAstack with early seed funding from the Ontario Brain Institute and the Ontario Centres of Excellence. With that they were up and running: DNAstack launched their genomics cloud platform in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the company offers research access to one of the world\u2019s largest autism genome and clinical databases through the Autism Sharing Initiative and its flagship Beacon Network product is a real-time, global search engine for genetic mutations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University gave DNAstack invaluable boosts, says Fiume, who earned undergraduate, master\u2019s and doctoral degrees at the University. \u201cU of T is very well respected, and I\u2019ve been able to collaborate with world leaders, not just in Toronto, but all over the world,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe\u2019re just grateful for the opportunity to have been trained at U of T, and for the network here in Toronto that has allowed us to build a company with global impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DNAstack is helping fight COVID-19 by helping scientists quickly search genomic data about the virus<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When the COVID-19 global pandemic began, Fiume and DNAstack quickly adapted their technology to make genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, findable and searchable. With support from the Digital Technology Supercluster and partners, DNAstack launched the COVID-19 Beacon in late March 2020, empowering users to share and discover knowledge about the genetics of the virus in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy sharing this genomic information over a cloud-based global network, there is the potential to improve knowledge of COVID-19 at a speed and scale that isn\u2019t otherwise possible,\u201d Fiume said. \u201cThat will contribute to new ways to fight the virus, such as the development of a vaccine. Our job is to get people the information they need, so we can find solutions that provide timely insights for the development policy, therapies and vaccines.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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August 23, 2021<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
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