FEGA nodes. Credit score: Karen Arnott/EMBL-EBI
The Federated European Genome-phenome Archive (FEGA) is reworking how delicate human genomic knowledge is shared and accessed. Constructing on the longstanding European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA)—a database for human genetic, phenotypic, and medical knowledge—FEGA permits researchers to securely uncover and analyze human genomic knowledge whereas making certain compliance with nationwide and worldwide knowledge safety rules.
By decentralizing knowledge storage throughout nationwide nodes, FEGA ensures knowledge stays safe inside its nation of origin whereas additionally being accessible to researchers worldwide.
FEGA’s paper has been printed in Nature Genetics.
From centralization to federation
Within the final twenty years, as the amount of human genomic datasets grew bigger and authorized necessities to entry the information have been tightened, it turned clear {that a} single repository just like the EGA may now not meet the worldwide neighborhood’s wants. The EGA staff proposed adopting a federated mannequin, according to native authorized and moral frameworks, whereas additionally permitting entry to those knowledge globally.
What’s a federated mannequin?
A federated mannequin is a distributed community wherein a number of entities function below a typical framework. Every node or entity retains management over its personal knowledge and processes, whereas agreed-upon requirements and protocols permit them to collaborate and share knowledge globally. This method permits safe and coordinated knowledge sharing throughout totally different nations, making certain that native authorized and moral necessities are met.
EMBL-EBI and the Heart for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Spain have co-managed the EGA since 2008. Collectively, they helped form the federated data-sharing mannequin now utilized by FEGA.
Two main tasks additionally helped make FEGA’s federated mannequin doable. The ELIXIR-EXCELERATE initiative—a program supporting worldwide knowledge sharing—helped lay the early groundwork with proof-of-concept research. ELIXIR-CONVERGE— a venture to standardize knowledge administration throughout Europe—has accelerated the event of the primary nationwide FEGA nodes.
“In the early days of setting up FEGA, we were grappling with the limitations of a centralized system. It felt like we were facing enormous challenges,” mentioned Mallory Freeberg, Human Genomics Crew Chief at EMBL-EBI.
“Through collaboration, we overcame those obstacles to build the foundations of FEGA. I’m immensely proud to have been part of this endeavor. It’s an exciting time for this network, and there is so much more to achieve as we continue pushing the boundaries.”
By 2020, the muse for FEGA’s federated mannequin was set, resulting in the official launch of the useful resource in September 2022. The primary collaboration agreements have been signed by nodes in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, and Spain.
Affect via world collaboration
“Global health challenges like pandemics and rare diseases do not respect national borders,” mentioned Arcadi Navarro, ICREA Analysis Professor on the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Director of the EGA staff on the Heart for Genomic Regulation.
“By expanding beyond Europe and adding the Canadian node, we consolidate the Federated EGA as the world’s most comprehensive, secure, and diverse resource for genomic and health data to tackle these urgent questions.”
The primary datasets have been submitted to FEGA by late 2023, proving the federated mannequin in observe. These knowledge have since continued to develop, with FEGA now holding almost 40 datasets.
The community has additionally expanded with nodes in Portugal and Poland becoming a member of in 2023, and Canada in December 2024. Discussions are additionally ongoing with many different collaborators, together with a Swiss node who’re presently “Observers’ of FEGA.
“This milestone partnership provides Canadian researchers with a swift, secure connection to global collaborators, fostering scientific and clinical innovation while continuing to uphold our commitment to privacy and compliance,” mentioned Steven Jones, lead for the CGA node and Co-Director of Canada’s Michael Smith Heart for Genome Sciences at BC Most cancers.
FEGA goals to help world analysis in illness analysis and personalised remedy. The next are a couple of examples.
A federated future
Trying forward, FEGA may even proceed to refine its metadata requirements, together with these developed as a part of the World Alliance for Genomics and Well being (GA4GH), to extend knowledge discoverability and interoperability. It will help future integration of multi-omics datasets, in addition to medical well being data for a extra full image of illness biology.
Efforts to help extra knowledge submissions are additionally underway, together with the event of coaching supplies and the institution of FEGA node-specific assist desks to help native customers. Federated analytics are additionally within the works, which is able to allow safe, multi-node analyses with out the necessity to obtain delicate knowledge.
As FEGA evolves, it units a excessive commonplace for world human genomics knowledge sharing. By integrating multi-omics and medical knowledge, FEGA will help analysis in the direction of improved personalised drugs and assist inform public well being methods to finally enhance affected person outcomes.
Extra data:
Teresa D’Altri et al, The Federated European Genome–Phenome Archive as a world community for sharing human genomics knowledge, Nature Genetics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02101-9
Offered by
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Quotation:
A federated future to help genomic drugs (2025, March 7)
retrieved 7 March 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-03-federated-future-genomic-medicine.html
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