Company Profile:
Tute Genomics
Tute Genomics is a cloud-based genome interpretation platform that lets doctors, labs & re-searchers analyze entire human genomes to quickly go from DNA to diagnosis. The cost of whole genome sequencing is dropping rapidly and we are in the middle of a genomic revolution, with the potential to transform medicine. Tute is opening a new door for personalized medicine by helping researchers and clinicians interpret genetic variants and find disease-related genes. Tute’s technology is the robust successor to academic software created by Tute Genomics’ co-founder Dr. Kai Wang, that has been used in more gene discovery studies than any other tool, with over 600 scientific publications. The Tute platform incorporates proprietary machine-learning algorithms to assist clinicians and researchers with gene and biomarker discovery. Existing tools are very difficult to use, require specialized bioinformatics expertise, and take many hours to analyze a single human genome. There is an urgent need for a user-friendly way to analyze genetic mutations from human genomes in research and in clinical settings. Tute Genomics is solving this problem with a robust, scalable pipeline for the analysis and interpretation of genomic data.
Q: Please tell us how your business idea was conceived. Was there an "aha" moment or did it evolve gradually?
A: The cost of sequencing the human genome has dropped over one millionfold and is transforming healthcare as we know it. The $1,000 genome was announced this year, and it is now cheaper to sequence the entire human genome than it is to order a bunch of single gene tests. Instead of paying $4,000 for a specific cancer gene test, for example, why not pay a fraction of that amount to sequence your entire genome and get information on all 25,000 of your genes at once? Well, because no one, until now, could handle such a massive amount of data. This is where Tute Genomics comes in.
Q: What's the most inventive, innovative, or disruptive aspect of your initiative?
A: We are beginning a genomics revolution, and pretty soon every doctor will be a geneticist, because genome-guided medicine is finally here. Tute is a cloud-based platform for healthcare organizations that brings you predictive, preventive, and precision medicine through genomics. We do this by using proprietary machine-learning algorithms to quickly go from DNA to diagnosis.
Q: Five years from now, what would you like to be able to say has been your most important contribution to health?
A: Healthcare is not yet personalized to each individual. When you receive a prescription for blood pressure, high cholesterol, or even cancer, there is a very real chance that it will be the wrong medicine or even the wrong diagnosis. Fast forward 5 years from now to a world where your medical treatment can be 100 percent unique. Every diagnosis, every treatment, every drug, and every dietary change is tailored to you and you alone. Every treatment works in a predictable way. When you walk into the hospital, instead of feeling like a car on an assembly line, you can be treated like the unique human being you are. Instead of seeing a specialist in a certain field of medicine, the information in your genome can turn any doctor into a specialist in YOU. All of this, thanks to whole genome sequencing and Tute Genomics software technology.
Q: What single word or phrase best describes the culture of your startup and why?
A: Transformative. It’s not every day that a startup comes along with as much potential to disrupt such a major industry as healthcare. Genomics will change medicine as we know it. At Tute Genomics, we are excited about the opportunity we have to accelerate precision medicine by unlocking your genome, personalizing treatment, and powering discovery.
Q: How will it help people live to their greatest potential or contribute to making the world healthier?
A: Before long, everyone will get his or her genome sequenced. Your genetic blueprint can and should serve as a reference for you and your doctors to query at every important medical event and decision throughout your life. Someone needs to be the keeper of that data, in a secure, accessible and meaningful way. Tute Genomics is like the Dropbox of your genome.