CanDIG: Federated network across Canada for multi-omic and health data discovery and analysis

• Published in: Cell genomics 2021-11, Vol.1 (2), p.100033-100033, Article 100033
• Main Authors: Dursi, L. Jonathan, Bozoky, Zoltan, de Borja, Richard, Li, Haoyuan, Bujold, David, Lipski, Adam, Rashid, Shaikh Farhan, Sethi, Amanjeev, Memon, Neelam, Naidoo, Dashaylan, Coral-Sasso, Felipe, Wong, Matthew, Quirion, P-O, Lu, Zhibin, Agarwal, Samarth, Pavlov, Yuriy, Ponomarev, Andrew, Husic, Mia, Pace, Krista, Palmer, Samantha, Grover, Stephanie A., Hakgor, Sevan, Siu, Lillian L., Malkin, David, Virtanen, Carl, Pugh, Trevor J., Jacques, Pierre-Étienne, Joly, Yann, Jones, Steven J.M., Bourque, Guillaume, Brudno, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2666-979X; 2666-979X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2021.100033

We present the Canadian Distributed Infrastructure for Genomics (CanDIG) platform, which enables federated querying and analysis of human genomics and linked biomedical data. CanDIG leverages the standards and frameworks of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) and currently hosts data for five pan-Canadian projects. We describe CanDIG’s key design decisions and features as a guide for other federated data systems. Dursi et al. describe setting up a genomics and biomedical data federation across Canada’s provincial regulatory boundaries and the drivers behind their governance and technical decisions. They guide on how to implement Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) standards to aid in building a federated data platform.