NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The US Food and Drug Administration has licensed IO Informatics' software in its Center for Veterinary Medicine to handle and use data and to reduce its reliance on animal testing, the company said today.
FDA scientists will use the Sentient suite to "acquire, digest, and access" data from genomics and proteomics in multiple tissues. It will enable them to analyze biopsies from the liver and kidney more efficiently, and they will have access to animal genotyping data, the company said.
The Sentient platform is used to identify and qualify multi-modal, cross-species-specific toxicity biomarkers.
"Accessing their study data in biological context and applying this knowledge will allow FDA researchers to make optimal use of all their data, to effectively and confidently make this transition and lead the international trend towards reduced live animal testing," IO Informatics CSO Erich Gombocz said in a statement.
The data management software will enable FDA to reduce use of animals "by translating data and knowledge initially from large animals like dogs to small ones like mice, and ultimately from mice to tissue cultures," Gombocz added.
The software enables scientists to share and access experimental data from microarrays, 2DE gels, mass spectrometry, microscopy, pK assays, and combinations of genetic, phenotypic, and visual animal classification, the Berkeley, Calif.-based firm said.
Financial terms of the agreement were not released.