The impact of our services is evident in their widespread use by research groups from academic institutions, hospital clinicians, pharmaceutical companies, and other enterprises, promoting outstanding scientific advancements.
The services of core facilities in FIMM TC are very flexible as witnessed during the pandemic in 2020-2021 when several of our technologies were harnessed to fight against Covid-19. The rapid transfer of our Genomics unit to the national sequencing capacity of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare was impressive in terms of method development, testing and implementation. Altogether 51 000 viral samples were sequenced during pandemia to follow up the prevailing SARS-CoV2 variant. FIMM-HCA participated to the establishment of the mini-IFA assay for the serology of the SARS-CoV-2, as well as established a platform allowing the image-based drug testing of SARS-CoV-2 together with FIMM-HTB.
As part of preparedness and developing our capabilities to rapidly react to changing conditions we participate in EU-projects like ISIDOREe (Integrated Services for Infectious Disease outbreak research)
In addition to providing technological services to customers from various backgrounds, the core units of TC also take part in large national cancer projects like iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, which is funded by the Academy of Finland. iCAN is a pan-cancer project aiming to digital precision cancer medicine for faster discoveries and improved treatment.
Several FIMM TC units participate in the iCAN analytics pipeline built together with Helsinki Biobank and iCAN, allowing the return of clinically relevant results to biobank and treating clinician to support the clinical decision making in the patient cases requiring additional molecular data for diagnosis or novel treatment options. Here, the project employs the iCAN Integrative Molecular Tumor Board (iMTB) system.
The FIMM sample storage unit serves both Helsinki Biobank and FHRB biobank, which deliver all samples for iCAN. HiPREP core receives these samples and performs RNA or DNA extraction, quality control and normalization for sequencing. The workflow includes data and sample management for all iCAN samples that are sequenced at FIMM TC. Tumor and germline whole-exome sequencing and tumor bulk RNA sequencing have been performed at the FIMM Genomics unit as part of the basic profiling for this Flagship project.
FIMM Single-Analytics unit has participated in deep profiling of hematological malignancies for the iCAN Flagship project by providing single cell 5’ gene expression profiling in combination with V(D)J sequencing of T-cell receptors and CAR T-cell expansion analysis. Finally, FIMM-HCA has supported several iCAN subprojects in 2D-3D image-based characterization and drug testing of cancer organoid cultures.
Every cancer case is different and sometimes patients do not respond to conventional treatments. In such situations, our clinical Drug Sensitivity and Resistance Testing (DSRT) assay can assist doctors in pinpointing the most effective therapy for each individual patient, or in avoiding ineffective treatments. Pharmaceutical companies have the option to use the DSRT assay to test their drug candidates on the same cancer cells from patients that we use for clinical DSRT, and thus this approach may serve as a surrogate for clinical trials. Our approach has proven clinical utility for patients with no available drug treatments.
Genomics unit of FIMM TC works in close collaboration with the Genetics Laboratory of Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) to test and implement novel technologies for diagnostic use. The collaboration benefits the development of the diagnostic services and enables utilization of the existing equipment capacity of the units. Wide range of expertise in both of the units broadly benefits both research and development activities as well as diagnostic needs.
At the FIMM TC, we are at the cutting edge of life science research and innovation. Our state-of-the-art platforms provide a foundation for groundbreaking discoveries and for commercialization of our technological innovations.
With the support of Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd (HIS), our researchers have successfully commercialized their innovations through licensing, patent applications, and the establishment of spin-off companies. Notable examples include:
VEIL.AI is a spin-out company from FIMM IT unit, developing next-generation anonymization tools to enable the safe use of sensitive data.