Bioinformatics

Genizon has developed a suite of databases and applications that integrate and manage information throughout the gene discovery process, from clinical collection, genotyping, gene analysis, gene and biomarker discovery to GeneMap generation.

Genizon’s platform includes powerful data visualization tools one of which is a graphical genome browser (GBrowse) that provides specific views of GWAS results superimposed on genes and other features of the human genome. Based on open source software, GBrowse has been extensively customized at Genizon to improve speed, scalability, robustness and availability, allowing the software to concurrently render large datasets from multiple analyses. Furthermore, Genizon has considerably enhanced GBrowse adding features to allow links to internal and external databases, to permit interactive queries such as calculating linkage disequilibrium (LD) between specified markers (key for determining disease gene localization) and displaying frequencies for risk and protective haplotypes.

Protein interaction networks are identified that help to explain the proteomic architecture of disease pathways. Genizon uses the commercially available Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software to assist scientists in building GeneMaps.

Additional bioinformatics capabilities include automated processes for downloading information from public databases, cataloging genes in specified regions for subsequent data mining, tools for annotating variants for putative function and assessment of potential “proxy” SNPs, automated tools for the comparison of results across GWAS analyses, automated SNP selection based on LD, physical density and/or gene annotations, and automated preparation of tables and sequence listing for patents.