GeneASIC
Paving the Future of Precision Medicine

Precision medicine is revolutionizing healthcare, enabling doctors to tailor medications and treatments according to a patient’s makeup. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the driving force behind this revolution. Through this powerful technology, scientists can identify genetic mutations that may cause diseases, accurately predict a patient’s response to treatment, and develop targeted therapies.

GeneASIC is on a mission to provide on-premises, energy-efficient, and cost-effective genomic data analysis solutions that make NGS accessible to everyone, everywhere.

“We provide an advanced computing solution for fast-paced, real-time genetic data analysis including automatic report generation,” says Chao-Hsi Lee, director of bioinformatics software R&D at GeneASIC.

One of the most crucial steps in NGS research is data analysis, which helps scientists extract meaningful information from raw data and generate insights about a biological process under investigation. An NGS bioinformatics pipeline consists of primary analysis for sequence generation, secondary analysis for reads mapping and variant calling, and tertiary analysis for data interpretation. However, performing such analysis on large NGS datasets takes days or longer.

With NGSAAP, GeneASIC’s proprietary NGS secondary analysis acceleration platform, human DNA can be analysed in 30 minutes. The system facilitates rapid and efficient bioinformatics pipelines and saves a significant amount of time.

The GeneASIC NGSAAP harnesses the power of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips to tackle the intensive computation requirements for genetic data analysis with remarkable efficiency in an impressively small form factor.

It occupies minimal space on any desktop and eliminates the need for rack servers. Its low power consumption ensures a sustainable and eco-friendly operation, while keeping energy costs to a minimum and allowing the device free from spatial cooling systems.

Moreover, with only soft hums in the background, the GeneASIC NGSAAP offers a serene working environment devoid of intrusive noise distractions. It empowers users to perform local genetic data analysis securely and effortlessly, instead of transferring data to the cloud issuing privacy concerns. The significant combination of small size, low power consumption, and near-silent operation makes the GeneASIC NGSAAP an invaluable tool for genetic research and medical diagnostics.

The GeneASIC NGSAAP is also suitable for any on-premise, end-to-end integrated sequencing platforms and products. It can even be tailored to fit different applications and workflow scenarios.

While secondary analysis involves processing raw sequencing fragments into aligned reads, tertiary analysis extracts clinical significance. GeneASIC’s in-house tertiary analysis solution, Holmes, automates a complex pathogenicity classification framework to help clinical practitioners interpret variant codes derived from secondary analysis.

Currently, GeneASIC is working on clinical studies for rare diseases diagnosis, as well as genetic disorders in newborns. It gives them the insights they need from a patient’s genome map to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Underpinning GeneASIC’s unique capabilities is its interdisciplinary team, which includes experts who possess bioinformatics and integrated circuit design knowledge. It has collaborated with academic institutions and industries to develop advanced technologies. In addition, GeneASIC holds exceptional IC manufacturing capabilities in Taiwan, which empower it to deliver tailor-made solutions for its clients.

GeneASIC recently received the National Innovation Award, the most prestigious honor in Taiwan’s biotech and medical field. It has also won the outstanding chip design award for its FPGA chip from the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute.

Harnessing the combined power of its proprietary technologies and team’s scientific capabilities, GeneASIC is streamlining and accelerating the process of genome analysis with the aim of introducing sequencing technology to the masses and moving the needle in precision medicine delivery.