Personalis Awarded Contract From VA Million Veteran Program – Whole Genome Sequencing and Data Analysis for Over 1,000 Individuals
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded its first contract for whole genome DNA sequencing and data analysis to Personalis, Inc., of Menlo Park, CA. The contract will utilize samples from several VA sources, including from the Million Veteran Program (MVP). Using its secure computing facility and proprietary algorithms, Personalis will QC all raw data, call variants against an advanced human reference sequence, annotate both SNV/indels and SVs, and provide genetic analyses to help confirm sample / data chain of custody. Personalis plans to subcontract the laboratory genetic analysis, including both DNA sequencing and genome-scale genotyping, to Illumina, Inc., of San Diego, CA.
Personalis CEO John West said "The VA's MVP has the potential to be the largest and most important medical sequencing effort in the world. We are thrilled that the VA has chosen Personalis for the DNA sequencing and analysis on this project. Our emphasis is on delivering an accurate and comprehensive sequencing solution for the VA."
About the VA Million Veteran Program
Launched in 2011, MVP is a landmark research effort aimed at better understanding how genes affect health. Up to a million Veterans are expected to enroll in the VA study over the next 5-6 years. Data and genetic samples collected through the study are stored securely and made available for studies by authorized researchers, with stringent safeguards in place to protect Veterans' private health information. MVP is now enrolling at over 40 VA medical centers nationwide. The VA's central bio-repository is equipped with a state-of-the-art robotic system for DNA extraction and storage and is currently being expanded to support up to 4 million samples. With more than 135,000 enrollees to date, MVP already far exceeds the enrollment numbers of any single VA study or research program in the past.
MVP provides researchers with a rich resource of genetic, health, lifestyle, and military-exposure data collected from questionnaires, medical records, and genetic analyses. By combining this information into a single database, MVP promises to advance knowledge about the complex links between genes and health.
Veterans' privacy and confidentiality are top priorities in MVP, as in all VA research. For more information about MVP, visit www.research.va.gov/MVP
About Personalis
Personalis provides researchers and clinicians accurate DNA sequencing and interpretation of human genomes. We support researchers engaging in case-control, family-based, or proband-only genome studies of disease, pharmacogenomics, and cancer. Our ACE (Accuracy and Content Enhanced) Technology™ can supplement a standard exome or genome, substantially increasing its medically-relevant coverage and accuracy. Personalis builds on this foundation with innovative algorithms and proprietary databases for alignment, variant calling, annotation, and analysis. With this combination, we provide genomic data and interpretation of the highest accuracy.