Rise in Population Genomics: Local Government in India Will Use Blockchain to Secure Genetic Data

Blockchain will secure the DNA database for 50 million citizens in the eighth-largest state in India. The government of Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a German genomics and precision medicine start-up, Shivom, which announced to start the pilot project soon. The move falls in line with a trend for governments turning to population genomics, and at the same time securing the sensitive data through blockchain. Andhra Pradesh, DNA, and blockchain Storing sensitive genetic information safely and securely is a big challenge. Shivom builds a genomic data-hub powered by blockchain technology. It aims to connect researchers with DNA data donors thus facilitating medical research and the healthcare industry. With regards to Andhra Pradesh, the start-up will first launch a trial to determine the viability of their technology for moving from a proactive to a preventive approach in medicine, and towards precision health. “Our partnership with Shivom explores the possibilities of providing an efficient way of diagnostic services to patients of Andhra Pradesh by maintaining the privacy of the individual data through blockchain technologies,” said J A Chowdary, IT Advisor to Chief Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh. The local government in India is a pioneer in the utilization of the latest technologies, such as the blockchain, to make citizens lives better. It had already partnered with a Swedish start-up, ChromaWay on a land registry pilot that uses block...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Genomics Security & Privacy DNA future Genetic testing genetics Genome genome sequencing Health Healthcare precision health precision medicine predictive health Source Type: blogs