Posted: 26 May 2023
GenoVic – the main platform used for clinical genomic testing in Victoria – will now become Genomical and expand its user base across Australia.
The platform was released in 2019 to enable multiple laboratories to conduct clinical genomic testing. Major hospitals including The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Alfred Health now use it to conduct genomic tests for advanced cancer and rare genetic conditions.
Dr Natalie Thorne has been one of the brains behind GenoVic since its earliest days at the Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance. She will now take it forward as the Scientific Director of Genomical.
Dr Thorne said: “Genomics will soon generate more big data than astronomy, inspiring researchers to coin a new word – genomical – to convey its magnitude. Genomical was the perfect new name for our platform, which enables healthcare providers to use big data meaningfully to improve the health of all Australians.”
Genomical moves data smoothly between different analytic tools, all coordinated by a unique orchestration service. Data from each test is stored securely in the cloud, with each laboratory retaining ownership of their data.
“Genomical enables medical laboratories to analyse, store, share and use genomic data, whenever patients need it,” Dr Thorne explained.
The platform was built and validated with medical laboratories, under the guidance of Melbourne Genomics. It has supported more than 15,000 accredited tests. Regular cybersecurity audits, data sharing capabilities and a health integration engine are standard for all users.
Dr Thorne said: “We look forward to working with more laboratories, adding new types of tests and tools, and enabling the rapid expansion of genomics.”
