Operating at the convergence of Life Science and Healthcare

Well it’s that time again – time to prepare for Bio-IT World Conference & Expo where our own CTO of Life Sciences, Sanjay Joshi will be hitting the stage.  It’s always a scramble to prepare for all the customer meetings, the exhibits, and (of course) the anticipation of eating fresh New England lobster!

Isilon has “grown up” in life sciences. And as we’ve grown, it’s been incredibly fulfilling to be a part of the advancements in the “must-haves” of life: life sciences, healthcare and technology.

Big Data and the convergence of life sciences and healthcare

Today’s advancements make it cost effective to have your personal genome sequenced at your local lab, and the relevant genomic and medical data sent to you and your doctor packaged in an email. On the healthcare side, it’s all about personalization and improving your health through diagnoses and treatment that fits your individual genetic profile.

At the heart (excuse the pun) of all this convergence is big data.  At Isilon we’re all about big data—including new ways of addressing the challenges of cataloging, analysis strategies, and security it brings along.

Continuing the Journey

In parallel with the amazing advances in technology, Isilon has cultivated and attracted a great mix of customers and industry partners. It’s what keeps us on the leading edge—helping the industry blaze new trails in life sciences and healthcare. A perfect example is the blending of Isilon’s native implementation of Hadoop, iRODS (Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System), and Intel’s life sciences-enabling technologies (see the white paper “Life Sciences at RENCI”).

During events like Bio-IT World, it’s gratifying to meet with Isilon users and see the ways in which our products have helped them solve their challenges and improved our lives. In turn we’re appreciative of their contribution to our growth and improvements in our products.  It’s a win-win!

Our continuing investments in life sciences and healthcare are not just on the product side. A meaningful solution requires an entire portfolio of technologies, partnerships, and collaboration venues.  For example, we’re a contributing member of the iRODs Consortium— an open-source data management software that abstracts data control away from storage devices and allows users to improve how they use their data. We’re also a member of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, and heavily involved in the security working group.

So you can see that we’re in this technology race for the long haul. We bring along dedication, knowledge, and ingenuity along to help our customers and industry partners keep apace of the new trends and technology.  Come see us at Booth 257 at Bio-IT World—oh, and get some lobster while you’re in Boston!

Get first access to our LifeScience Solutions

About the Author: Sasha Paegle