Toward owner governance in genomic data privacy with Governome

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Blockchain Technology
• Cryptography

Background:

• Genomic sequencing advancements provide personal data access.
• Current systems lack privacy, control, and hinder research.
• Need for owner-governed systems with encryption and verifiability.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce Governome, an owner-governed system for genomic data management.
• Empower individuals with real-time control and transparency.
• Facilitate secure genomic data sharing and research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized blockchain for transaction and permission management.
• Implemented homomorphic encryption and zero-knowledge proofs for secure data handling.
• Developed dynamic permission management with full transparency.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated robustness and scalability with 2,504 genomes from the 1000 Genomes Project.
• Successfully tested individual variant query, cohort studies, and GWAS.
• Validated forensic applications and secure data lifecycle encryption.

Conclusions:

• Governome provides individuals with unprecedented control over their genomic data.
• The system ensures privacy, security, and verifiability throughout the data lifecycle.
• Governome supports diverse genomic applications, advancing biomedical research.