Blockchain and Bioinformatics – Converging Technologies that Strive to Improve Genetic Data Security

Introduction

Both bioinformatics and blockchain are new technologies that are still coming into the prime. While the theory and intellectual underpinnings of these activities are established, their full applications have yet to be brought to market.

Blockchain is the database software that records a digital ledger of transactions of any size. These are not just monetary transactions but can also be used to exchange any digital asset such as music or votes [1].

Blockchain has a peer-to-peer based network, consisting of individual devices that collectively store and share the data. This data sharing network and its structure make it more popular than a traditional database run by a central authority.

Data Security

A database having a single entity in charge of its data makes manipulation much easier and information less secure. Conversely, Blockchain is built on a decentralized model where information is encrypted and distributed across the entire network. This ensures that all data is highly secure and cannot be exploited. It is on this same model of data storage that the popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin (BTC), is based upon [1].

The peer to peer network of nodes (small devices acting as servers) that makes blockchain has a few security advantages when compared to the traditional network structures. In addition to being decentralized through nodes, each block of data must be validated by consensus of the data within the chain in order to become part of the chain. This need for consensus goes hand in hand with data immutability (there is a record of every change in data) within the blockchain to provide security.

Current Problems in Bioinformatics

Despite the incredible utility of Bioinformatics and how far the technology has advanced in research, it has demonstrated unexpected security problems in recent years. There have been multiple scandals in the US regarding the improper use and distribution of bioinformatics data from patients. Bioinformatics was used to provide insights into patient health, and genealogical information was sent, without customer knowledge, to both insurance companies and the FBI [2].

The worst offenders, Ancestry.com and 23andMe, have sold information to companies like P&G Beauty and Pepto-Bismol as well as universities, like The University of Chicago. In fact, in 2018, GlaxoSmithKline announced a $300 million deal with 23andMe. While customers are furious about their genetic information being shared, the company claims that their customers agreed to have their information used for “informed consent research”; there is also an opt-out opportunity when a customer first agrees to the service.

Both 23andMe and Ancestry said that they would not share genetic information without a court order. Whether genomics companies are serious about their claims to protect customer data or not, leaks are common in the data world and would be irrevocably damaging to the information’s owner [3].

How Can the Technologies Help Each Other?

Using blockchain makes transactions much more traceable, considering that each block in the chain must verify the transaction and lends itself to lowering server costs as the storage for data on the blockchain is decentralized.

These two features of the blockchain can do a lot to increase the security of patient data. Since the amount of data is only going to increase, there has never been a better time to deploy this kind of solution. This sort of concept is already in the process of scaling and could become common in the next few years.

Companies like Genobank.io specialize in just this. They conduct genetic tests and store customer genetic data in the blockchain and hand them the key so that they are the only party with an access [4]. This sort of data control greatly decreases the likelihood of information theft and ensures that there will be a record if a copy of the data is made and by whom.

Additionally, bioinformatics can assist blockchain in the relatively distant future (possibly in about a decade). At present, the blockchain’s computational power is somewhat limited and certainly lacks the capacity to perform analysis on such data sets as millions of human genomes. However, there are fledgling companies making inroads into using the blockchain for computations. In the case of Numerai, these computations are meant to analyze the stock market [5].

As these two technologies develop and become more valuable to the industry, they will be able to converge and create platforms that can provide security for the increasingly vast data set created by genetic testing.

Related Article: Innovative Diagnostics, AI, Blockchain and Telemedicine Boosts COVID-19 Fight

References

1. https://bccollective.io/what-is-blockchain-and-how-does-it-work/
2. https://www.axios.com/dna-test-results-privacy-genetic-data-sharing-4687b1a0-f527-425c-ac51-b5288b0c0293.html
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2018/12/05/how-dna-companies-like-ancestry-and-23andme-are-using-your-genetic-data/?sh=175e397d6189
4. GenoBank.io: providing an anonymous and secure way to store DNA data
5. Numerai

Author

Eduardo Longoria