The Project Shivom: The Next Era for Genomics and Healthcare with Blockchain Technology
This blog was originally published on my website, TechBlogChain.net
When I was a high school student I was fascinated by the idea of DNA, DNA test, genomics, and genome sequencing in my biology class. It made me realize that the access to a genetic information could lead to a potential medical breakthrough, better health care approach, and could determine your heritage or biological relationship to other people. It also made me realized back then that having your genomic sequence data analyzed is expensive. Genomic sequencing cost roughly $1,000,000-$10,000,000 back in 2008 then and a few years later it becomes cheaper and cheaper every year. Now I've heard it's down to roughly $1000-$5000, and continuous efforts are being conducted to make it cheaper and affordable. A lot of people, medical and pharmaceutical industry could benefit with the logarithmically decreasing cost for genomic sequencing and genomic data availability. When you have your genome sequenced, gigabytes of genomic data is available to the firm that conducted the sequencing for your specific purpose. What mostly didn't know is that your genomic data could possibly be monetized and sell to a third party firm for their research purposes and you are left with no compensation for selling your personal genomic data. In an era where data is dubbed as the "new oil", increasing scandals in selling unauthorized personal data and rising number of data breach and data security vulnerability. It comes to no surprise that people are taking steps and look for means take back control of their data. Well, with all the rapid changes in technology, this is no longer a dream, you could have now total full control of your genomic data with the help of blockchain functionalities integrated into the Project Shivom's genomics datahub and healthcare services platform.
What is Project Shivom?
Project Shivom is a global genomics ecosystem based on distributed ledger technology or blockchain. It offers the first ever integrated solution for patients and genome data donors where everybody will be able to have their genome sequenced and securely stored. A platform where you could have full control of the genomic data with cryptography and smart contracts. By having control of your genomic data, you will have the freedom to either monetize it or donate it for free to a medical and pharmaceutical firm. You could also have the benefit of personalized and precision medicine by using your genomic data a mean for improving your health and treatment. The medical and pharmaceutical firm could also be benefited by the authenticity and diversity of genomic data to improve their research and drug development, reducing their spendings and wasted time.
Watch this cinematic feel of Project Shivom's Youtube video teaser to learn about how the platform could revolutionize healthcare, genomics and precision medicine with blockchain technology.
You could learn the extent of the project by reading their whitepaper and executive summary documents.
What do I like the most about Project Shivom?
Project Shivom effort to catapult the improvement and development of healthcare and genomics is applaudable and same time revolutionary. With Shivom's platform being widely implemented and operational someday, I could optimistically imagine a faster development and progress in finding a cure and effective treatment of diseases like cancer, degenerative disease, and other diseases that have no cure or effective treatment at the moment. I could visualize a better, improved and personalized health and medical treatment by having my doctor an access to my genomic data. The platform has a lot of benefits to patients, doctors, and related industry. Without further adieu, here are the key ideas I do like about the project in my personal opinion.
Ownership of Genomic Data. As I have mentioned earlier and in the whitepaper, your genomic data is hundred percent in your control. Blockchain will be used to keep it safe and you own the cryptographic keys for it. If you want to sell it or share it with specific pharmaceutical firms, you could do so by pairing your cryptographic key and give them consent. And you could also choose who could see your data.
Affordable and Available DNA Sequencing. The Project Shivom won't leave you in the dark, in some countries genomic and healthcare remain unaffordable and most of the time inaccessible. Shivom plans to make genomic sequencing available worldwide and in several ways, it can be partially and fully subsidized. Shivom will offer affordable test kits and can be sent to your mail or to your physician and shipped back to Shivom.
Strong Team. I first learned about this project from Dr. Sally Eaves, one of the most notable blockchain influencer. The first thing one must look for blockchain based projects or any other form of a startup is the team that will be working on it. The Shivom's team composed of founders and team members with strong professional experience in genomics and medicine, finance and entrepreneur, blockchain and information science, marketing and design.
The Project Shivom is currently having a public presale as of this writing with $35 million target funding. The OMIX utility token to be used to fuel the ecosystem and transactions on the platform. With a total token supply of 3 billion, 900 million of which available for sale.
You can sign up on their website, read publications on Medium and Bitcointalk, join their community chat on Telegram, subscribe on their Reddit thread, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to get a timely update from the team, developments, news and token sale.
Notes from the author:
The contents of this blog is an opinion, commentary, and informational purposes only, and should not be considered financial advice. I am an independent blogger, not a financial advisor. Investing in blockchain projects and cryptocurrency is risky. I am not held liable or responsible for any loss or damage you may suffer for trading or investing to blockchain projects and cryptocurrency. Please conduct your own due diligence before investing in ICO, ITO and blockchain projects.
Additional Info from the author:
My Bitcointalk username is "normensky012"