ISB News

Genome fingerprinting

Genome Comparison Easier with ‘Fingerprint’ Method

ISB researchers have developed a method of capturing a personal genome as a “fingerprint,” which will have a major impact on how quickly and efficiently genome sequences are compared.

Ruth West Presents at ISB

When: Thursday, October 20, 12-1 pm Where: Institute for Systems Biology, Main Floor Auditorium, 401 Terry Ave North What: Ruth West will present her pioneering research practice at the intersections of art, science and media. This event is made possible through the Consilience program at ISB and is free and open to the public. Ruth West is in Seattle to exhibit her work ATLAS in silico as part of the…

A Landscape of Pharmacogenomic Interactions in Cancer

The journal Cell published a study today (July 7) about the integrated analysis of drug response in 1,001 cancer cell lines. This study was undertaken by a large international group of researchers including ISB Senior Research Scientist Theo Knijnenburg. The researchers integrated heterogeneous molecular data of 11,215 tumors and 1,001 cell lines in order to study the drug response of these cell lines to 265 anti-cancer drugs. They uncovered numerous…

New Publication in ‘Cancer Cell’

As part of The Cancer Genome Atlas project, the Shmuelvich Lab and colleagues published a paper in the journal Cancer Cell related to the rare cancer adrenocortical carcinoma. Read the summary: 3 Bullets: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, under-researched endocrine cancer with limited therapeutic options and overall poor outcome. TCGA researchers performed comprehensive analysis of 91 ACC samples to gain better understanding of potential genetic causes of the cancer….

ISB Releases Kaviar, World’s Largest Public Catalog of Human Genomic Variation

3 Bullets: Kaviar is ISB’s comprehensive catalog of human genomic variation Kaviar combines 31 data sources for a total of 151 million single nucleotide variants (SNVs), covering 5% of all the positions in the human genome A researcher studying possible disease-causing variants can use Kaviar to answer the question, “Have these variants been observed before, and if so, how often?” By Terry Farrah A typical pair of human genomes are…

Into the genetic weeds of hair growth

3 Bullets: ISB researchers used a data-driven mathematical model to identify specific genes associated with hair regeneration Novel methodology paves way for continued research into the molecular basis of this complex cycle as well as other regenerative organs like skin and liver Findings may lead to more precise targets for therapies and genetic markers of hair wellness By Varsha Dhankani Scientists at ISB have identified genes associated with the growth-and-death…

ISB Recieves $6.5M NIH Contract to Create Cancer Genomics Cloud with Google and SRA International (Image credit: MIT Tech Review)

Cancer Genomics Cloud: ISB and Google Featured in MIT Tech Review

(Above illustration from MIT Technology Review.) MIT Technology Review published an article about the launch of Google Genomics and included a mention of ISB’s new Cancer Genomics Cloud project. ISB received an up-to $6.5 million, two-year NIH contract in collaboration with Google and SRA International. From the MIT Technology Review article: The idea is to create “cancer genome clouds” where scientists can share information and quickly run virtual experiments as…

New Details on Thyroid Cancer May Lead to More Precise Therapies

3 Bullets: Papillary thyroid cancer represents 80 percent of all thyroid cancer cases. Integrative analysis resulted in the detection of significant molecular alterations not previously reported in the disease. ISB researchers identified microRNAs which may lead to more precise therapy. By Lisa Iype Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer, accounting for 80 percent of all cases. As part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)…

Real Simple Magazine Quotes ISB on ‘What Exactly is Wellness?’

Above: Cover of the November 2014 issue of Real Simple Magazine A team at ISB has been working on the 100K Wellness Project, which you read about here. The November issue of Real Simple Magazine has a feature story on “What Exactly is Wellness?” It includes a mention of our wellness study and a comment from Dr. Nathan Price, ISB associate director. “Perhaps one reason why wellness programs aren’t yet…

Cancer genomics visualization at ISB

It’s Easier to Go ‘Viral’ When Your Partner Happens to be Google

By ISBUSA Since we announced that we got a $6.5 million contract from NCI to develop the Cancer Genomics Cloud pilot project, we’ve gotten some great press from around the world. It doesn’t hurt that one of our partners is Google, of course. Here are some of the headlines from around the world: Puget Sound Business Journal: Cancer in the cloud: Institute for Systems Biology teams up with Google NBCNews.com:…

ISB Awarded $6.5 Million NIH Contract to Develop ‘Cancer Genomics Cloud’ with Google and SRA International

PRESS RELEASE Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) has received a $6.5 million, up to two­-year, federally funded contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH). ISB is one of three organizations awarded a contract by NCI to develop a cloud-­based platform that will serve as a large­-scale data repository and provide the computational infrastructure necessary to carry out cancer genomics research at unprecedented scales. ISB’s Shmulevich…

Infographic showing types of data

Xconomy.com Features 100K Project

Xconomy featured an article about the 100K Wellness Project. The article provides an introduction and follows with a Q&A with Dr. Nathan Price, who is Associate Director of ISB. Read the article by Alex Lash, Xconomy.com’s National Biotech Editor: “100K” Marathon: A Decades-Long Health Study Makes Its Business Case

Baliga Lab: Uncovering the Genetic Adaptability of Tuberculosis

3 Bullets: The Institute for Systems Biology and Seattle BioMed have collaborated to reconstruct the gene regulatory network of the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Finely tuned gene regulation has allowed Mycobacterium tuberculosis to survive unnoticed in an apparently healthy host for decades; understanding those subtleties is critical for advancing treatment. The identification of co-regulated sets of genes and their regulatory influences offers validated predictions that will help guide future research…

Analyzing Family Genomics Reveals New Culprit in Rare Disease

3 Bullets: Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS) is a rare congenital disease characterized by scalp lesions and limb defects. Additional vascular abnormalities and heart defects can lead to early death in some patients. By analyzing twelve families affected with the disease, we identified causal mutations in a new disease gene, NOTCH1, in five families. NOTCH1 is likely to be the major cause of AOS. NOTCH1 codes for a transcription factor that governs…

Tracking Cells from Well to Diseased

KUOW's Marcie Sillman and producer Amina Al-Sadi interviewed Dr. Lee Hood about P4 medicine and the 100K Wellness Project. This 29-minute recording is a great conversation about Lee's vision for how to turn healthcare on its head. Listen to the podcast. Learn more about the 100K Wellness Project.  

NIH awards $10.9 million to National Center for Dynamic Interactome Research

New $10.9 Million Grant from NIH

The NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences has issued a Biotechnology Resource Grant of $10.9 million over five years to the National Center for Dynamic Interactome Research (ncdir.org) project. This project is a collaboration among The Rockefeller University, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle BioMed, University of California at San Francisco, New York University and New York Structural Biology Center. Michael Rout, of The Rockefeller University, is the Program Director/Principal…

ISB Researchers Help Identify Four New Subtypes of Gastric Cancer That May Lead to New Targeted Treatments

3 Bullets: Gastric cancer has a high mortality rate, but current classification systems haven’t been effective in helping to identify subtypes relevant for treatment of the disease. TCGA researchers have integrated molecular data from 295 stomach tumors and have discovered four subtypes of gastric cancer. Stratification of patients into these four subtypes paves the way for the development of new personalized therapies. By Theo Knijnenburg Gastric cancer is among the…

Cover image for ISB's 2013 Annual Report.

ISB’s 2013 Annual Report is Now Available

Institute for Systems Biology has a dizzying breadth of research projects. But when we talk about what we do, it’s how we do it that matters most. The systems approach that we pioneered and exemplify continues to distinguish our ability to tackle the most complex biological and environmental challenges today. Because of how we apply our hallmark collaborative, cross-disciplinary and integrative approach, our collective success is greater than the sum…