Press Releases

UK Biobank and DNAnexus Collaboration Earns Bio-IT World 2024 Innovative Best Practices Global Impact Award for 500,000 Whole Genomes Data Release

DNAnexus-powered UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform wins IT infrastructure High Performance Computing category

Mountain View, Calif. – April 11, 2024 - DNAnexus, Inc., the provider of the Precision Health Data Cloud, today announced that its ongoing collaboration with UK Biobank will be recognized with the 2024 Innovative Best Practices Global Impact Award at the upcoming Bio-IT World Conference and Expo. The award highlights the purpose-built, cloud-based UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform that allows approved researchers to access and analyze UK Biobank’s vast database, including the recently added groundbreaking whole-genome sequencing data from 500,000 participants. Researchers from around the world are using the data to drive discovery of new diagnostics, treatments, and cures. 

More than 30,000 approved researchers from at least 90 countries have registered to use UK Biobank, the world’s most comprehensive source of biomedical data. These scientists are provided with the tools and computing power to analyze a vast wealth of de-identified health and lifestyle data via UK Biobank’s secure Research Analysis Platform, powered by DNAnexus.

“Scientists across the globe can apply to access the most detailed picture of human health that exists via UK Biobank’s Research Analysis Platform. Our database has over 10,000 variables on many of our fantastic 500,000 volunteers, including data from whole genome sequencing, full-body image scans, linked hospital records, and questionnaires on activity, diet, and pain,” said Mark Effingham, Deputy CEO at UK Biobank. “Our secure and scalable Research Analysis Platform has democratized access to this valuable data, providing researchers in low-and-middle-income countries with the ability to access the same insights into human health and disease as those at wealthy institutions in high-income economies.”

More than 10,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published as a result of research using UK Biobank’s database, including medical discoveries such as:

• Finding genes associated with protection against obesity and type 2 diabetes, which has the potential to lead to the development of new drugs
• Identifying individuals at very high genetic risk for diseases such as heart disease, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, which may help with screening 
• Discovering a link between physical activity and Parkinson’s that can predict the disease up to seven years before diagnosis from smartwatch data, potentially leading to earlier intervention 

“We appreciate this recognition by Bio-IT World because it calls attention to the unprecedented UK Biobank resource that now contains more than 30 petabytes of data,” said Thomas Laur, CEO at DNAnexus. “Our ongoing collaboration with UK Biobank continues to accelerate drug development and improve our collective understanding of the biological underpinnings of complex diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune diseases.”

DNAnexus will be showcasing its innovative Precision Health Data Cloud and large-scale analysis tools during the Bio-IT World Conference in booth #28. Asha Collins, PhD, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Biobanks at DNAnexus will be accepting the award on behalf of UK Biobank and DNAnexus at the Innovative Practices Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 17. She will share more information on the 500,000 whole-genome data release on the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform during a presentation starting at 10:50 am. For more information on the 2024 Bio-IT World Innovative Practices Awards, please visit http://www.bio-itworld.com/innovativepractices. 
Researchers interested in applying for access to UK Biobank data should visit http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/register-apply. 

About DNAnexus:
DNAnexus enables biomedical organizations to accelerate scientific discovery and improve patient care with the Precision Health Data Cloud. The company provides scientific innovators and healthcare professionals with the ability to manage, analyze, and collaborate on multi-omic, clinical, and real-world data to unlock insights. DNAnexus actively manages more than 105 petabytes of data on behalf of a growing network of collaborations with leading pharmaceutical, clinical diagnostic, academic research, biobank, and government organizations. Today, more than 45,000 users across 48 countries and over 130 enterprise customers are harnessing the full potential of their data with the scalable and secure Precision Health Data Cloud. DNAnexus is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, visit www.dnanexus.com or follow @DNAnexus.