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For people living with rare and inherited diseases, speed matters. Faster time to diagnosis leads to a more proactive therapeutics plan—one that can help stave off potentially debilitating symptoms and greatly improve quality of life. 

The Health 2030 Genome Center is dedicated to accelerating this process. The Swiss genome sequencing and analysis center provides a platform to advance precision medicine, which relies on genomic data to help determine the best therapeutic course of action for patients with a variety of conditions.

But time to insights is vital. High computing power and quick, easy access to results are critical to clinicians’ work. Increasing volumes of DNA samples to sequence and analyze generate a considerable amount of data—especially when a single sample alone can reach 200GB. Performance bottlenecks are simply not an option. 

To enhance the speed of DNA sequencing analysis, the Genome Center uses Pure Storage® FlashBlade® for unified fast file and object (UFFO) storage, deployed through Evergreen//One. The result is unprecedented computing power and real-time data availability that help simplify and accelerate research and patient diagnostics. 

That’s why the Genome Center is the 2023 Pure Storage Breakthrough Awards Data Warrior of the Year. 

“Thanks to Pure, analysis data are available 10 times faster on the platform used by researchers and clinicians, and the transfer speed to the customer site has been multiplied by two. Researchers can analyze the data stored on our interface in real time without having to download it themselves, and diagnose patients more quickly and easily.” –Arnaud Hungler, IT Manager, Health 2030 Genome Center 

A Fast, Flexible Consumption Model Powers Genomic Data Processing  

To deliver life-altering results to patients quickly and accurately, genomic workloads rely on powerful and scalable storage to support large and fluctuating data volumes. For example, depending on the projects in progress, storage volume requirements can very quickly go from zero to 200TB and vice versa.

The Evergreen//One subscription can adapt accordingly to these spikes in data volumes without requiring the overprovisioning of storage capacity on a day-to-day basis. So instead of paying for 500TB on a permanent basis—which the Genome Center only uses occasionally—it pays only for what it uses. 

Adding to these efficiencies is the simplicity of storage management, all while delivering the highest level of data security and integrity to meet regulatory requirements. The Genome Center uses Pure1®, saving the team hours on daily operational tasks. As a result, they can keep researchers and clinicians focused on what matters most: helping patients afflicted with genetic disorders live their best—and longest—lives.

Advancing genomic medicine is no easy feat. We are in awe of the Genome Center for its tireless efforts in this area and are thrilled to recognize this work with a well-deserved Data Warrior award.