February 12, 2015 – Microbiome Insights, Inc. announced its official incorporation today as a company providing end-to-end services in microbiome analysis. These services, which include experimental design, sample testing, and bioinformatic analysis, are aimed at researchers in both academia and industry seeking to conduct microbiome studies.
Based out of Vancouver, Canada, Microbiome Insights is a spinout from both the Life Science Institute and the Personalized Medicine Initiative at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Drawing on the decades of experience of its scientific co-founders, professors Dr. B. Brett Finlay and Dr. Bill Mohn, Microbiome Insights fills the expertise gap that currently exists between expanding interest in the field and successful studies and products.
The study of microbiomes—complex ecosystems of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi—is one of the fastest growing areas in life sciences research. The functions and interactions of these communities have a profound impact on human, animal, and environmental health. While more and more groups are recognizing the value of adding microbiome analyses to their work, many lack the technical know-how to design and carry out such studies and interpret the results.
“Our goal is to provide researchers with a resource for expert microbiome analysis,” says Malcolm Kendall, co-founder and CEO. “Along with my fellow founders, Brett Finlay and Bill Mohn, I feel the company is uniquely positioned to offer highly specialized services to a broad market, helping drive innovation.”
Microbiome Insights’ services centre on extraction, quality control, analytics and bioinformatics—providing clients with publication-quality data and state-of-the-art analysis. The company’s flexible end-to-end service model also includes pre-study consultation, data consultation, and advanced reporting.
Microbiome Insights will seek partnerships with other organizations to further understandings of microbial communities and to co-develop new products and services.