The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) has struck formal collaborations with 15 international genomic data initiatives as 2017 Driver Projects, including Genomics England, Australian Genomics and the U.S. All of Us Research Program.
The announcement, made at the GA4GH 5th Plenary Meeting, comes as part of the launch of GA4GH Connect: A 5-year Strategic Plan. GA4GH Connect aims to drive uptake of standards and frameworks for genomic data sharing within the research and healthcare communities in order to enable responsible sharing of clinical-grade genomic data by 2022.
GA4GH is an international, non-profit alliance formed to accelerate the potential of genomic medicine to advance human health. Bringing together 500+ leading organizations working in healthcare, research, patient advocacy, life science, and information technology, GA4GH Members are working together to create framework and standards to enable the responsible, voluntary, and secure sharing of genomic data.
The first robust genomics standard under GA4GH Connect, “htsget,” was also released today. htsget is a genomic data retrieval specification allowing users to download read data for subsections of the genome in which they are interested. Currently, users must download the whole set of files in which that data resides, a slow, resource-intense process.
GA4GH Driver Projects will help identify, develop, and pilot data sharing frameworks and standards in real world settings. By interacting with many of the world’s leading genomic data initiatives, GA4GH will ensure that its efforts are directly connected to the research and healthcare communities’ most immediate needs.The first robust genomics standard under GA4GH Connect, “htsget,” was also released today. htsget is a genomic data retrieval specification allowing users to download read data for subsections of the genome in which they are interested. Currently, users must download the whole set of files in which that data resides, a slow, resource-intense process …continue reading at GA4GH site
See Australian Genomics’ news release