Qatar Genome Programme improves quality of Genomic data interpretation

Researchers from various institutes in Qatar recently took part in a two-day workshop on WuXi NextCODE’s GOR database platform, an analysis suite that will help individuals in this field to effectively study genomic data.

The workshop sessions, held at Sidra Medical and Research Center (Sidra), allowed participants to run sample queries on large external datasets and ask questions about the GOR database platform and how it can help their own projects.  Attendees learned how to perform quality control analysis, single and small family analysis, and cohort analysis, including clinical and genomic data.

The GOR database is the main engine used to perform variant annotation and interpretation analysis. It can store data on hundreds of thousands of samples in one database, and its interface offers researchers an easy way to access and analyze data from multiple subjects simultaneously.

Commenting on the workshop, Dr. Said Ismail, Manager of QGP, said: “The workshop provides a hands-on introduction to the research and clinical interpretation interfaces through which researchers will be able to conduct their future analyses on genomic data. We thank all of our participants and partner institutions for hosting this crucial workshop.”

The platform features several useful tools, including a clinical sequence analyzer, which is a web-based tool ideal for analyzing genomic data from single patients and small-families with rare, genetic disorders. The sequence miner is a Java-based application that enables analysis of clinical and genomic data of multiple families and patient cohorts.

Qatar Biobank and the Qatar Genome Programme, both members of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), have now generated the first 3,000 whole genomes and inputting the phenotypic data on the WuXi NextCODE GOR database for further study and are developing partnerships with local stakeholders to increase the quality of genomic data analysis.