Cloud-based computing for biotech start-ups is becoming increasingly important as the R&D of modern biotech start-ups relies more and more on the computational environment. They need it, for example, to store and analyze experimental data. Traditionally, companies have been setting up their computational centers on-premises. However, advancement in digital infrastructure is now providing an attractive alternative in the form of cloud computing.
In this blog post, we’ve listed several examples of how a biotech start-up can benefit from the opportunities offered by cloud computing.
Big biological data and cloud-based computing facilitate the development of a proof of concept (PoC)
In the past decade, we’ve observed rapid progress in fields like sequencing, gene editing, single-cell transcriptomics and other types of “omics”. As a result, scientists have been generating enormous amounts of extremely complex, multi-dimensional data. The availability of this data via public data domains and biobanks makes it possible to test and validate R&D ideas, including those with commercial potential.
This opens an opportunity for biotech start-ups to lift off the ground even before they have a wet lab facility and can collect their own data. Using cloud-based computing for biotech start-ups, companies can begin with data analysis and create a proof of concept fairly quickly and with a relatively low budget.
Major cloud providers offer moreover tools that can additionally speed up the process of building pipelines for biotech applications. Examples include AWS for Genomics, Google Cloud Life Sciences, and Microsoft’s Azure HPC for health and life sciences, all of which support scientific cloud enablement.
Cloud-based computing makes a biotech start-up more agile
Cloud resources can be rapidly scaled up and down. This scalability allows a start-up to quickly adapt to changing needs regarding computing resources (CPU, memory), dedicated services for the web (landing pages, apps), data sharing capabilities, volumes of data to be analyzed, etc.
It also means that start-ups pay only for what they use, and therefore are more cost-effective and flexible in their spending, which is a major advantage of cloud computing in biotech.
Competitive advantages of cloud-based computing
Biotech start-ups face fierce competition and every ingredient that puts them ahead of their rivals is important to consider. The use of cloud computing increases start-up competitiveness in more than one way. For example, it enables easier access to state-of-the-art computational techniques.
Many sophisticated AI, ML, and deep learning algorithms require hardware that fulfills specific needs regarding GPU acceleration and memory. Setting up a powerful enough computing environment on-premises is difficult and costly, therefore cloud computing centers, with all the necessary and advanced infrastructure in place, offer a much more effective way to keep up-to-date with and benefit from progress in hardware development.
Beyond technology, a cloud-based computing environment also positively influences how start-ups are perceived by prospective talent. Operating in the cloud signals innovation and scalability, which strengthens a start-up’s positioning within the cloud-driven biotech ecosystem.
Cloud application case 1: making wet lab R&D more efficient with cloud-based computing
When a start-up launches its wet lab facilities, the computing environment on the cloud can play an important role in the automation of lab processes. With IoT technologies, it is increasingly easier to transfer data from a sequencer or other on-premises lab equipment directly to the cloud.
Once there, the pipelines designed earlier can be used to automatically analyze the data in real-time, accelerating R&D through lab informatics on the cloud.
Cloud application case 2: customer service supported by cloud-based computing
Start-ups that plan on offering their customers computational tools and services via online platforms can additionally leverage cloud computing environments for that purpose. As their user base increases, the easy and quick scalability of the cloud will again pose a valuable advantage and support the start-up’s agile growth.
How does cloud-based computing help start-ups get funding?
All benefits of using a cloud computing environment act in favor of a start-up when it is evaluated by investors and funding bodies. With data-driven life science and biotech R&D, data security is often closely scrutinized.
Cloud computing providers that assure advanced security measures, privacy features, and reliable backup systems can greatly facilitate compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. This strengthens investor confidence in cloud-based computing for biotech start-ups operating within regulated environments.
Expert knowledge is necessary to set up cloud-based computing efficiently
Though having a computing environment in the cloud offers biotech start-ups great advantages, the technical setup is not simple. Start-ups lacking in-house expertise can benefit from working with experienced partners who specialize in secure and scalable scientific informatics solutions.
Our cloud specialists have helped many start-ups to set up efficient and secure computing centers on the cloud. We will be happy to help you with your idea too through life sciences consulting services.
