Nebula Genomics aims to launch a genomics platform that will let users securely monetise their personal data and gain medical insights.
Nebula Genomics, a new US-based genomics spinout of Harvard University, is set to launch a platform for users to earn cryptocurrency in exchange for letting pharmaceutical firms use their data, according to Technology Review.
The company has released a white paper into the technology, which will offer affordable genome sequencing that can establish a person’s susceptibility to certain diseases. The platform will license anonymised records to medical research firms.
Users will receive cryptocurrency, dubbed Nebula tokens, in exchange for providing their genomic data, while a blockchain system will secure data transaction records to protect data ownership rights.
Nebula hopes to give pharmaceutical and biotech companies access to a more cost-effective source of genomics than traditional intermediaries such as academic institutions or mainstream genetic testing services.
The service is based on research by George Church, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical Centre, along with Harvard student Dennis Grishin and alumnus…
