Federal Researchers Build Massive Online Database of Genomic Data

A new online portal would let scientists access vast amounts of genomic data from patients involved in heart, lung, blood and sleep research studies. The hub, called GenPort, is supposed to help researchers look into the results of several studies at once, tracking individuals in different trials who might share the same characteristics, known as “synthetic cohorts.” The Health and Human Services Department is currently looking for small businesses who can help build that hub, so even researchers without informatics or genomics training can make “practical use” of data from cohort studies other scientists have already conducted. Nextgov