Vanderbilt University's Jim Ayers Institute for precancer detection and diagnosis has implemented GenoLogics's Proteus laboratory and data management software
Proteus was selected to assist with the Ayers Institute research focused on early identification and treatment of colorectal cancer.
The Ayers Institute, led by Daniel Liebler, is working in conjunction with the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt GI Spore programme towards the ultimate goals of developing a blood test for early detection of colorectal cancers, as well as individualised therapies or personalised medicine for targeted treatment of specific tumour types.
This ambitious research involves extensive clinical trials with thousands of participants at centers across the USA, necessitating effective sample tracking and data storage.
The Proteus data management solution gives researchers the ability to incorporate clinical data and track non-identifiable patient data, and its LabLink web collaboration system allows Vanderbilt University's global network of collaborators to submit and receive sample information in Excel format.
Proteus lets researchers create elaborate searches and perform data comparisons involving disease states and tissue proteotypes.
Proteus' powerful search functionality allows for quick and easy access to data and facilitating deep data mining.
Samples that enter the Ayers Institute labs can be easily added with a mouse click and recorded using bar codes, which reduces errors from manual entry and decreases the time needed to log in samples.
James DeGreef, VP product management at GenoLogics, commented: "Vanderbilt University is known as a true technology leader in the field of proteomics research and we are extremely pleased that it has chosen GenoLogics lab and data management to aid its early detection cancer research".
Proteus's open architecture ensures integration with a wide array of instrumentation and software tools, and the open database and ease of configuration frees bioinformaticians to focus on developing analytical tools.
Proteus integrates scientific data from wide array of instruments and software for gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, protein search engines, and data analysis tools via specialised modules that manage the capture, integration, and analysis of research data.
A proteomics Lims that would improve laboratory efficiency and productivity was a key requirement for the Ayers Institute, because the more quickly research progresses, the sooner thousands of Americans who suffer from colorectal cancer (the second most common cancer in the USA) may benefit from targeted therapies designed for the specific type and stage of their cancer.
GenoLogics is proud to provide an effective tool to the Ayers Institute and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center enabling them towards a future where cancers are either detected at the precancerous stage, or cured through personalised therapies.
About Vanderbilt University's Jim Ayers Institute for precancer detection and diagnosis.
The Ayers Institute was launched in 2005 by the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, jump-started by a $10 million gift from West Tennessee businessman Jim Ayers, to develop techniques to detect cancers at their earliest, most curable stages.
