Vanderbilt University's Jim Ayers Institute for Precancer Detection and Diagnosis is using advanced bioinformatics software to develop blood tests for the early detection of colorectal cancer. The research could also aid the development of personalised cancer therapies.
This research involves extensive clinical trials with thousands of participants at centres across the US, necessitating effective sample tracking and data storage. To solve this problem, the team, led by Dr Daniel Liebler, chose GenoLogics Proteus system to track patient data throughout the trial.
Proteus's LabLink web collaboration system allowed researchers from all over the world to submit and receive samples, in an Excel format. The software also includes a powerful search engine, giving the researchers quick access to the data. Samples could be entered using a barcode, to reduce any errors that could creep in using manual data entry.
