Genowis Appoints Former Life Tech Senior Bioinformatics Expert Dr. Zhao Xu as CTO to Drive Full-Scale Engineering of Its Cloud-Based Precision Oncology Diagnostic Platform
Recently, VCBeat learned that Dr. Xu Zhao, Senior Applied Bioinformatics Expert at Thermo Fisher Scientific, has joined Genome Wisdom Inc. as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this role, Dr. Xu will oversee the company’s technology development efforts, with a focus on strengthening cloud product architecture and comprehensively enhancing product engineering capabilities and development iteration efficiency.
Dr. Xu Zhao
Dr. Xu Zhao: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tianjin University; Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from Fudan University.
Joined the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) Research Center in 2001, later serving as the leader of the software group, responsible for designing algorithms and engineering program implementations for large-scale data analysis. In 2004, began studying under Academician Hao Bolin, focusing on bioinformatics research. Has published multiple articles in journals such as Science, Nature Reviews Genetics, PLoS Biology, and Nucleic Acids Research.
Joined the bioinformatics team at Life Tech’s Beijing branch in 2009, responsible for backend application software development for next-generation sequencing instruments and supporting customers in bioinformatics analysis applications based on next-generation short-read sequencing.
In 2013, served as a Senior Application Specialist at the U.S. headquarters of Life Technologies (which was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in the same year), primarily addressing various data analysis challenges encountered by U.S. healthcare institution clients in the application of high-throughput sequencers for medical testing.
Since joining Life Tech, Dr. Xu Zhao has developed a suite of algorithms and software spanning de novo microbial assembly, metagenomic analysis, preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), and detection and annotation of low-frequency tumor mutations. In addition to developing bioinformatics applications, Dr. Xu, as a senior full-stack bioinformatics engineer, has led teams in helping clients build computational and storage cluster systems tailored for next-generation sequencing (NGS). He possesses extensive product-level engineering development and technical management expertise in bioinformatics application development, high-performance parallel storage cluster infrastructure, job scheduling systems, parallel program optimization, and cloud system middleware.
VCBeat Q1: As a senior bioinformatician at Life Tech in the United States, why did you choose to join a domestic startup?
Dr. Xu Zhao:My decision to join Genome Wisdom Inc. was driven by my recognition of the company’s expertise in tumor genomics research and bioinformatics technology, as well as my assessment of the value its products and services bring to the entire oncology healthcare industry. Furthermore, the founding team’s strategic layout and unique perspective on industrialization have filled me with confidence and anticipation for joining this new venture.
VCBeat Q2: As I understand it, Genome Wisdom is a company that leverages AI technology to analyze tumor genomics and pathology big data, with the capability to develop AI algorithms and provide comprehensive information solutions for precision oncology. Having worked in the United States for many years, do you think there is any comparable company in the U.S. or globally?
Dr. Xu Zhao:“Tumor” diagnosis and treatment represent a world-class challenge. It is essential to integrate and analyze both the “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” characteristics of tumors to truly develop “precise” AI diagnostic algorithms and decision support systems. These two categories of characteristics are commonly referred to as “Genotype” and “Phenotype.” They encompass multimodal data across different dimensions, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based genomic data that characterize tumor genotypes, and pathological images, pathological texts, and CT/MRI imaging data that characterize tumor phenotypes.
In the U.S. and European markets, I have yet to identify a single company that serves as a direct counterpart. For instance, there are high-tech companies in the United States specializing in niche segments of oncology data. These firms typically focus on processing either “genotypic” or “phenotypic” data alone. Examples include Foundation Medicine, which specializes in tumor genetic testing and biomarker discovery; Flatiron Health, which focuses on collecting oncology clinical records and treatment efficacy data; and Bina Technologies, which develops enterprise-level bioinformatics software and internal cloud systems. It is likely that Roche’s successive acquisitions of these three companies were driven by the complementary value of their respective data assets, reflecting the integration of genomic and phenomic information in the advancement of precision medicine.
VCBeat Q3: Based on Genome Wisdom Inc.’s unique strategic layout and core strengths, how does its cloud-based product suite deliver value to the precision oncology industry?
Dr. Xu Zhao:The company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of an integrated cloud ecosystem for tumor genotypic and phenotypic data analysis, comprising “iGenome®Cloud,” the intelligent genomics cloud serving third-party NGS testing laboratories, and “iPhenome™Cloud,” the intelligent phenomics cloud serving healthcare institutions.
As previously stated, addressing precision diagnosis and treatment of tumors requires the development of AI-based information solutions targeting both “genotype” and “phenotype” data. Currently, the “Intelligent Gene Cloud” can provide in real time a complete data workflow, ranging from quality control of raw tumor whole-exome sequencing data and precise detection of somatic mutations to the generation of tumor medication testing reports. These reports even include Opdivo, the latest approved tumor immunotherapy drug.
The “Intelligent Phenotyping Cloud” provides functionalities such as management and viewing of tumor pathology reports and images, intelligent search, and AI-based quantitative immunohistochemical analysis of pathological images, playing a significant role in enhancing the research and diagnostic capabilities of pathology departments. We believe that cloud solutions integrating both genomic and pathological endpoints can fundamentally increase the penetration of NGS testing in hospital pathology departments and improve the level of tumor diagnosis, while ensuring the quality of testing data and reports. This represents the true value that Genome Wisdom Inc.’s products contribute to the precision oncology industry.
VCBeat Q4: Final question: How do you believe your appointment as CTO of Genome Wisdom Inc. will benefit the company?
Dr. Xu Zhao:I believe there are three main aspects: First, my experience in software product development and user experience can help the company enrich and refine the functional modules of its cloud infrastructure. Second, my engineering expertise in system architecture, parallel file systems, job scheduling systems, and cloud computing middleware can enhance the stability, scalability, and operational efficiency of the cloud infrastructure. Third, my practical experience in managing technical teams at Life Tech can effectively standardize the engineering development processes for the company’s currently diverse teams, fundamentally improving product iteration efficiency and reducing long-term maintenance costs.Since joining Genome Wisdom Inc. full-time in March 2018, I have fought alongside the technical team members every day, fully experiencing their spirit of striving and dedication toward our goals—a work pace that is entirely absent in large corporations. I am excited about the career I am currently pursuing and proud to be a member of such a team!