Stacking the odds in favour of improving lives

With advancements in health technologies, doctors and researchers have come closer than ever to uncovering what genetics can tell us about our health. Understanding and identifying the sources of many diseases requires delving in at the molecular level. But decoding the DNA involves downloading massive amounts of data that are difficult to store and to make sense of.

Co-founder Marc Fiume was inspired by a personal connection to someone living with a genetic disorder when founding DNAstack. He was determined to address the challenges researchers face examining genomics, primarily the issues of storing and deciphering large amounts of data. Building on the search and storage technologies of the Google Cloud Platform, DNAstack expanded its capabilities with standard application program interfaces (APIs) to enhance the discovery, access and workflow abilities.

First supported by OCE through the SmartStart Seed Fund, the DNAstack team focused on enhancing the search and analysis of the MSSNG genomic database that houses the genetic information of about 10,000 families affected by autism spectrum disorder. DNAstack’s platform allowed authorized researchers to explore data that met industry standards and minimized the risk of counting data twice. This led to a re-analysis of genomic samples in the MSSNG database to improve accuracy of identifying genetic material.

Over the years, DNAstack and OCE have continued their partnership with additional projects, most recently one under the Customer Demonstration Program that connected the company with researchers from the Hospital for Sick Children to assist with a transition to cloud-based computing and analysis of data in the cloud.

“OCE has provided support that is perfectly aligned with what companies need to break through the various stages of building a company,” says Marc Fiume, CEO, DNAstack. “From generating the first version of a product to getting the first customer, to going global, OCE has been there to support our company.”

Currently a team of 20, DNAstack is now working on making their software accessible for use by a wider audience.

“We’re very excited about breaking down technological barriers to data sharing and collaboration and improving outcomes for the millions of people affected by genetic diseases,” says Fiume. “We see ourselves as leaders and advocates for the standards and technologies that allow researchers and clinicians to efficiently find, access and analyze the world’s exponentially growing volumes of genomic and biomedical data.”