Canadian Open Genetics Repository (COGR): a unified clinical genomics database as a community resource for standardising and sharing genetic interpretations

Genomic medicine is still an emerging field. Scientists working at different institutions have developed naming systems and checklists and specialized databases that differ significantly from one to another; their utility is compromised by the many differences between them. The result is that sharing such data across the biomedical community has been difficult if not impossible. To unlock the benefits of these resources, the project team has created a unified, open-access, clinical-grade genetic database, a repository based on a commonly shared platform designed to hold genetic information and their relationship to disease. This database draws from the holdings in place at hospitals from across Canada. (By Marina Wang, http://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2015/04/22/jmedgenet-2014-102933 )