Case Study: State University of New York at Buffalo reduces gene-environment analysis time by 99% with IBM PureData System for Analytics

Substantial data analysis improves gene-environmental correlation identification to help develop new treatment for multiple sclerosis

The State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY), a leading research university, wanted to identify environmental factors contributing to multiple sclerosis (MS). Their researchers faced the challenge of analyzing enormous, complex genetic and environmental data sets, which required processing power and speed far beyond their existing capabilities to make meaningful discoveries. They turned to IBM for a solution.

IBM implemented its PureData System for Analytics, along with software from Revolution Analytics, to provide a powerful data warehouse and analytics platform. This solution enabled researchers to analyze quintillions of data points and examine over 2,000 factors, reducing analysis time for gene-environment interactions by 99%—from 27.2 hours to just 11.7 minutes. IBM's technology facilitated new scientific findings, accelerated the publication of research, and helped advance the development of potential MS treatments and prevention strategies.

State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY)

Murali Ramanathan

Research Lead