From Data to Discovery: BlokBIO's Vision of Transforming Genomic Research with User-Centric Intelligence Solutions

We are entering a new era in genomics, poised to transform fields like medicine, agriculture, and ecology. Traditional genomic analysis methods are labour-intensive and limited by a scarcity of specialised expertise. As genomic research advances rapidly, along with artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology, the challenge increasingly lies in downstream interpretation and decision-making by large, multidisciplinary teams. Current "Data analysis bottlenecks" and analyst shortages are costing the industry over £10 billion annually in lost productivity.

BlokBIO is on a mission to create an accessible genomics intelligence layer that will accelerate analysis and significantly enhance understanding, leading to a tenfold increase in discovery rates. Over the past year, we've assembled a robust team of bioinformatics specialists, supported by industry, software development, and academic advisors. This has allowed us to build core cloud architecture, launch testing of our first automated workflow and onboard our first early-adopter paying customers.

This Launchpad application focuses on supercharging the user experience for one of our workflows, specifically our automated gene-expression (RNA-seq) workflow. We plan to transform the system's front-end and back-end, enhancing scalability and efficiency through advanced technologies like containers and serverless functions, coupled with an AI-enhanced front-end for data querying and analysis.

Working in collaboration with Instil, renowned for their expertise in designing and developing user-centric, bespoke software solutions, we will reimagine our platform's interface, aiming to set a new benchmark in intuitiveness and ease of use. By leveraging a modular design system of versatile, reusable components, we can lay the groundwork for scaling as we develop future applications. We plan to optimise the core gene-expression workflow and overhaul the user experience of the app as a whole to make the software more accessible --- empowering not only the technical experts, but extending the benefits to a wider range of stakeholders, ensuring that our product becomes a valuable asset for a diverse user base.

Our vision extends beyond streamlining genomic analysis. We anticipate that our enhanced tools will set new standards for efficient, user-friendly, and democratised genomic analysis. The implications are vast, promising to accelerate biomedical research, improve disease diagnosis and treatment, and expand the reach of personalised medicine to underserved communities, ultimately contributing to global health equity.