Fighting childhood cancer,
thousands of datasets at a time
refine.bio has harmonized over 46,324 gene expression experiments
Saving Time to Save Lives
When childhood cancer researchers download transcriptome data (the collection of RNA molecules in a cell), each set can seem like its own language. Different studies use distinct technologies to collect the same type of data, and each technology has its own language. Researchers can spend up to 30% of their time translating these datasets into something they can use. This cumbersome process takes away valuable resources that could be spent in the lab discovering cutting-edge treatments and cures. refine.bio is here to fix that.
One Language, One Repository
It’s the Rosetta Stone for the vast amount of publicly available childhood cancer data. It’s the first project of its kind to harmonize this information across many different technologies into one universal repository. Now researchers can pull from this massive dataset, saving precious time.
Better Medicine Through Machine Learning
With the power of machine learning and the rich collection of data in refine.bio, researchers have the potential to extract more information about the biology of a patient’s sample. In turn researchers will be able to better classify patients and identify what types of treatments might be most effective on a case-by-case basis, further enhancing the burgeoning field of precision medicine.
Created by the Childhood Cancer Data Lab (CCDL), powered by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, this endeavor is harnessing the power of big data to accelerate the pace of potential cures.
Donate today to support the CCDL’s efforts to give researchers the tools to create a healthier, more prosperous future for kids fighting cancer and beyond.