Shivom: Do We Really Need a Global Genomics Blockchain Platform?
Newly minted blockchain platforms keep amazing the public. Such as, an ambitious project called Shivom rekindles dreams of creating a genomics ecosystem powered by a distributed ledger technology. The idea behind the project is to develop a world-grade healthcare services platform for the common good and well-being.
The team of Shivom thinks that healthcare data stored in separate databases and in different formats does not bring the humanity much benefit, depriving the healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies of an ability to carry out effective research and drug developments.
To boost the effectiveness of the global healthcare system, Shivom will encourage individuals from the whole planet to contribute their genomic data to the platform so that different medical institutions and R&D laboratories could use these records to develop precision medicines, improve patients outcomes, and better understand the causes and treatments for rare (and, surely, popular) diseases. In other words, Shivom plans to become the first genomics data hub and healthcare service platform housed within blockchain.
How Will Shivom Work?
It will be powered by blockchain to ensure the utmost security and privacy of every record added to the system’s distributed database. People signed up to the platform will be able to upload their genomic information to Shivom’s database and receive some reward for doing so. It is not a problem if you do not have your genomic info because in such a case, Shivom will send you one of the two DNA collection kits (an exome kit or a whole genome sequencing kit to choose from) to collect your saliva sample. Then you mail this kit with your DNA sample back to Shivom. Together with partner laboratories, Shivom will thoroughly analyze your DNA and send you your health report in your platform account.
Who and how can benefit from Shivom?
Common people/donors. When you sequence and upload your genome to the platform, you will obtain your personal health analysis and have access to multiple customized health-related applications developed by Shivom and its partners.
Pharmaceutical companies can use genomic information from Shivom databases to conduct effective trials, gain insights into the origin of different diseases, human genetics, and health, and develop personalized and preventive medications.
Healthcare providers and biobanks. Having a detailed genetic picture of a customer, pharmacists could pick up a right medication for them, thus avoiding any adverse events. Pharmacies would know which drugs, nutritionals, and supplements work best for their customers.
Shivom will create a decentralized, open-source marketplace that will include all possible health-related services and apps to empower platform users to get nutritional/fitness advice, know their disease predisposition or develop personalized treatment plans basing on their genome report.
Shivom Protocol and Architecture
Meant as a B2B and B2C platform, Shivom will provide tools to process, store, analyze, and share genomics data using the best practices of Blockchain, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence technologies.
This platform will be blockchain-agnostic, meaning it can run on different blockchains including Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Qtum to:
- ensure a smooth dapps development,
- support proper functioning of their tokens,
- have smart contracts,
- store metadata in a decentralized way.
Focusing on a better healthcare system, this blockchain solution (which is essentially a genomic repository) will closely collaborate with famous cryptographers to ensure an absolute security of the platform. Through a "Security-by-design" approach, Shivom will implement a preventive security in the system so that it will be practically independent of the Internet and cloud service providers.
The team will develop a “proof-of-liability” algorithm to identify users who do not follow the given rules, for example, those who are trying to donate genomic data from another individual. They also claim to build their own protocols that will perform different functions including key management, permission management, and data management.
Shivom’s architecture will be driven by a so-called nuanced identity model where security considerations will be determined by different cryptographic mechanisms such as a blinded signature, secret sharing, and zero-knowledge protocols.
Well, this all sounds pretty interesting but, unfortunately, the team will release a beta version of their product only after their token sale.
Shivom’s smart contracts will perform the following function:
- Storage of user and genomic sequence data
- Access permissions, control, and log
- Token performance
Shivom Token and ICO
As a blockchain platform, Shivom will enable all data owners to see which companies use his/her genomic information and how much he/she earned from this sharing. All the transactions in the system will be carried out through OmiX, an Ethereum-based ERC-20 utility token.
The platform users (individuals, pharma companies, research organizations, biobanks, etc.) will need OmiX coins to enjoy products and services provided by the Shivom platform as well as accomplish payments within the system. These tokens are also required to identify the genome owners and ensure anonymity and security of genome data.
Exact dates of their ICO are not known yet, they just say that it will occur in April-May of 2018.
Token distribution
3 billion of OmiX tokens will be distributed in the following way:
- 990M to be sold during their ICO event
- 90M meant for the community (bounty programs, developers reward, ecosystem growth)
- 420M to support the founders
- 300M for early backers and advisors
- 600M for the data generation rewards
- 600M to be reserved
If they manage to achieve the fundraising goal, the received funds will be allocated as below:
- 25% for partnership with different laboratories
- 21% for marketing purposes
- 20% for the further platform development
- 11% for day-to-day processes and business development
- 10% for a non-profit R&D center
- 6% for data storage
- 5% for the legal compliance
- 2% to conduct initial PoC in the Indian hospitals
Shivom team
Shivom’s leadership team is presented by:
Dr. Axel Schumacher is a co-founder and CEO of Shivom, a holder of the doctorate degree in genetics, boasts years of successful experience in genomics, biotechnologies, aging and longevity research.
Gourish Singla is a co-founder and COO. Has vast competence in investment banking and health management. He also founded three prosperous companies in the digital health environment.
Sally Eaves is a co-founder and CMO. Having years of expertise in a role of a chief technology officer, she can answer any question about blockchain, AI, machine learning, and robotics. Above all, she is one of top 10 blockchain and social media influencers in the world.
Akash Gaurav is Shivom’s co-founder and CTO. As a distributed ledger expert, he started the first blockchain company in India that is now one of the hugest blockchain companies around the globe. Akash helps businesses to deploy blockchain technologies
Conclusion
Shivom will be a tokenized blockchain-driven platform that will encourage individuals to contribute their genome data so that the whole healthcare industry can use this information to pursue clinical research and deliver more personalized healthcare services and products for the global good an improvement of the current healthcare system. If Shivom makes their vision a reality, then:
Individuals can have deep insights of their state of health and timely address any health-related issues such as they will know their predisposition to this or that disease and take preventive measures, learn about their ancestry, and take well-informed pharmaceutical decisions;
Pharmaceutical companies will improve their R&D initiatives and create better drugs/products with fewer side-effects and higher efficacy, accomplish drug repurposing and repositioning, discover new drug candidates through the genetic analysis of potential customers, and more;
Developers will be able to design customized health-related and lifestyle applications.
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Authored by: Will.Smith @iwgeiw