A healthcare worker takes blood samples as part of a local health drive to check for cardiac issues. She utilizes genome sequencing equipment to extract the patient’s genome, which is immediately uploaded onto a cloud server. Then, a program computes the patient’s proclivity to cardiac diseases by comparing his genome with that of millions available in the cardiac history database. The results, churned out in less than a minute, detail the cardiac diseases the patient has or can have, and provides medication details compatible with his genes. This is the revolutionized form of healthcare that cloud genomics can bring to our future.
Cloud genomics involves the storage of one’s genome - the details of which can be used to avoid or manage health problems, on the cloud in order to contribute to research. With the recent announcement from Google about storing one genome, which is about 100 gigabytes of data, for only $25, the genomics industry is on the verge of a sea-change.
The applications of such a facility are numerous. For instance, scientists researching the genetic mutation that causes Hemophilia, the disease that doesn’t let blood coagulate, can store millions of genome sequences on the cloud. They can compare healthy genomes to the mutation and understand its nature. The computing power and space provided by these cloud servers can even help them research a cure for Hemophilia.
In addition to computing space, companies are also taking initiatives that can specifically aid researchers in their projects, by creating customized programs based on their requirements. For instance, a researcher wants to sift through his genome database to find the mutation that causes the Sickle Cell Disease. A customized program queries the database and identifies the genomes containing the mutation. The researcher can also use the cloud program to collaborate with other scientists the world over to advance his or her studies.
As present day internet servers handle much more data than that required to set up a genome sequencing database, it is an ideal solution for diagnostic medicine. For instance, if a doctor is unsure what ailment causes symptoms of nausea, headache and frequent fevers, he can upload the patient’s genome to a database for answers. By comparing the genome to others, he can determine the problem and the right drug to be administered for effective treatment.
The availability of genomic information on an affordable cloud platform can open up new avenues for diagnostic capability, research, and treatment. It can alter the manner in which medicine is approached completely, with more reliance on the internet and the abundance of data at its disposal. This internet of medicine can change the fabric of healthcare – affecting mortality and developing cutting-edge medical services for the future.
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