Knome, Inc. was a human genome interpretation company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since their 2007 launch, Knome’s sole focus has been on improving lives by applying scientific insights gained from the interpretation of human genomes. Their products and services help their clients identify and classify the variants, genes, and gene sets that are likely to govern or underlie a specific disease, tumor, or drug response. Clients include academic, pharmaceutical and medical researchers. In 2015 it was taken over by Tute Genomics.
Technology
Knome has developed proprietary technologies that automate many of the manual tasks involved in interpreting human whole genomes. These technologies are designed to address the informatics and workflow bottlenecks that typically hinder whole genome interpretation. The company’s core technology, kGAP, was developed in 2009 and serves as the foundation for a number of Knome’s products and services including the knoSYS® platform.
Products and services
For academic, pharmaceutical, and medical researchers, Knome offers: ;knoSYS® Platform: Provides labs with a scalable, production-grade informatics system for the analysis, annotation, and interpretation of human next-gen sequence data. ;knomeDISCOVERY: Research services include project-driven curation, sophisticated informatics, and in-depth interpretation by Knome's team of experienced geneticists.
Timeline
;2007: Knome was co-founded by George M. Church based on the recognition that the rapidly falling price of whole genome sequencing would create substantial market need for whole genome interpretation technologies and services. ;2008: Knome interpreted the genome of the third named person to be sequenced—Dan Stoicescu. ;2009:Knome launched kGAP, a cloud-based informatics engine. ;2010:Knome successfully assisted researchers at the University of British Columbia to identify the sixth known inherited gene defect causing Parkinson’s disease. ;2011:kGAP 2.0 was released. ;2012:Knome was selected as a technology partner by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to analyze 1,000 genomes for asthma study. ;2014:kGAP integrated into the knoSYS platform as v3.0. ;2015:Knome acquired by Tute Genomics.
;New York Times:In February 2013, the New York Times featured the knoSYS: "a powerful computer packed with software has arrived to interpret sequences privately within the walls of a lab". ;NOVA:In March 2012, Knome appeared on a special episode of NOVA, "Cracking Your Genetic Code". In the show, Knome helped describe how the interpretation of human genomes is helping to solve medical mysteries and revolutionize personal healthcare. ;Faces of America:In September 2011, Knome was featured in the four-part PBS series Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The series followed Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. as he used advanced genetics tools to explore the ancestral histories of 12 renowned Americans, uncovering unique stories of immigration that illuminate the American experience. On the program, Knome scientists illuminated the striking "mosaic" of ancestry in Professor Gates' and his father's genomes, tracing their ancestry to Africa, Europe, and beyond. By comparing the two genomes to each other, they revealed the shared genetic heritage of a father and son, including aspects of their health risks and strengths. Further, by documenting the parts of their genomes that the two men did not share, Knome's analysis offered a glimpse of the genome of Professor Gates' late mother. ;Ozzy Osbourne:In 2010, Knome famously interpreted the genomes of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. The study uncovered notable differences in Ozzy's genes that were linked to drug and alcohol response, which shed light on how the famously hard-living rocker has survived decades of drug abuse. Several major news outlets including CNN and ABC picked up the story.
