Overview
Excelra enabled seamless cloud migration and infrastructure enhancement for a leading diagnostics company in the precision oncology domain. The project involved transitioning bioinformatics tools, scientific informatics platforms from AWS to GCP. By implementing CI/CD pipelines and optimizing cloud resources, the solution improved operational efficiency and scalability across their scientific R&D infrastructure. The success of this migration highlights Excelra’s expertise in cloud enablement services for scientific informatics and strategic scientific data management.
Our client
A leading diagnostic company based in the US, specializing in the area of oncology and precision medicine, with core competencies in IVD and advanced bioinformatics tools for drug discovery and development.
Client’s challenge
As part of their strategic initiative, the client planned a cloud migration from AWS to GCP to modernize their scientific informatics infrastructure. The legacy cloud setup limited seamless data integration, real-time collaboration, and computational scalability required for their ongoing bioinformatics and drug discovery workflows.
A major challenge was transitioning multiple applications, and pipelines without interrupting ongoing research. The system also needed to support advanced scientific data management to facilitate integration across scientific projects.
Client’s goals
The client aimed to upgrade their infrastructure to efficiently run multiple scientific informatics projects with improved CI/CD pipelines, faster scalability, and high data throughput. Additionally, enabling unified access to bioinformatics tools and databases on a single GCP platform was critical to accelerating their precision oncology initiatives.
Our approach
To meet the objectives of this cloud migration, our solution focused on:
Comprehensive Infrastructure Assessment
Assessed the existing AWS setup, identifying integration points for scientific workflows.
Stepwise Migration Strategy – Executed a phased migration minimizing downtime and ensuring a seamless transition for scientific informatics systems.
CI/CD Implementation
Integrated robust CI/CD pipelines using Concourse, improving deployment frequency and system reliability.
Performance Optimization & Validation
Conducted detailed validations of applications, bioinformatics tools, and data pipelines on the new GCP setup.
Documentation & Support
Delivered detailed support and documentation to facilitate internal adoption and long-term scalability.
This project complements insights from modernization and cloud migration of legacy R&D platforms.
Our solution
Bioinformatics Database Migration
- Migrated bioinformatics databases from AWS Aurora to GCP Cloud SQL.
- Adjusted data pipelines for high-throughput integration with scientific workflows.
- Ensured infrastructure reliability and supported downstream bioinformatics tools.
Sysko QC Application for LDT Analysis
- Built CI/CD pipelines to automate deployments.
- Migrated AWS EC2 jobs to Google Transform Hub.
- Optimized data flow between applications.
TSQC App Migration
- Developed new frontend to support scientific QC monitoring.
- Refactored deployment architecture using Kubernetes on GCP.
- Streamlined deployment through Concourse-driven CI/CD pipelines.
Pileup.js – A Genomics Visualization Service
- Tailored visualization tools using IGV.js and deployed via GKE.
- Used signed URLs and Google Cloud Storage to access BAM files securely.
- Fully automated updates using CI/CD pipelines.
Cloud migration solution could add significant value to the client by achieving
- Operational efficiency of ~25%
- Reduced the infrastructure maintenance costs by ~ 20 % Integration of multiple scientific informatics projects on single GCP platform accelerated the client’s drug discovery efforts through improved data integration, performance, and visualization capabilities.
This cloud-first approach aligns with Excelra’s FAIR data principles and expertise in scientific application development for drug discovery.
Conclusion
Excelra’s tailored cloud enablement strategy helped the client transition from AWS to GCP, optimizing their infrastructure for precision oncology research. With the integration of scalable bioinformatics tools, secure scientific data management, and efficient CI/CD pipelines, the client experienced:
- ~25% increase in operational efficiency
- ~20% reduction in infrastructure maintenance costs
- Accelerated scientific discovery through integrated scientific informatics systems
This GCP migration reinforces Excelra’s position as a leading provider of computational biology services for life sciences innovation.
