Focus on the group's mission

The Vital-IT group, led by Mark Ibberson, acts as a key sustainable bioinformatics resource serving national and international projects and collaborations, with academic and industry partners. Thanks to its diverse expertise in computational biology, data management and software engineering, the team is able to find custom-made solutions to answer complex biological questions including biomedical & omics data. The value it delivers to its partners is a deep commitment to advancing science effectively and independently. 

Knowledge management

Our knowledge management and data stewardship competencies enable us to get novel and faster insights into complex datasets. We organize, clean & control the quality of your datasets for subsequent analysis. In addition, we process, transform and align your datasets to existing standards and make them available as a database. We are specialized in handling different types of omics data (e.g. RNA-Seq, metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, microbiomics) including sensitive data, for which we can provide bespoke solutions  (e.g. federated analysis or secure dedicated servers for remote analysis). Our specialties include: 

  • FAIR Data management  
  • Data and literature curation 
  • Knowledge representation 

In practice: 

  • Set up of a federated database for biomarker discovery in type 2 diabetes (T2D) as part of the IMI RHAPSODY consortium. In this database, 10 observational clinical cohorts with a combined total of 50K patients were standardized, harmonized and made available for statistical analysis. We developed data mining and statistical tools in an analysis package for researchers to use within the consortium. Read more and watch the video 
  • Set up of a database composed of ~100 clinical trials as part of the IMI Hypo-RESOLVE consortium. The work has involved setting up ETL (extract, transform, load) pipeline for feeding trial data into a secure Oracle database and the creation of a virtual analysis environment accessible via remote desktop and secured by 2 factor authentication. 
  • Set up of secure pipelines to process and analyse exome sequencing data in various cancers, in order to identify the factors responsible for resistance to immunotherapy, as part of the IMI IMMUcan project.  

More about SIB’s role in European public-private partnerships 

Data mining and analysis

We propose analysis pipelines adapted to each research context, including multi-omics models and results interpretation. Our specialties include: 

  • Omics analysis 
  • Integrative and network analysis 
  • Machine learning 

In practice: 

  • Development of a method for interpreting gene expression data with metabolic models which has helped to identify key genes in obesity-related inflammation in adipose tissue (read the paper) 
  • Integrative analysis of mouse and human lipidomics data which led to the discovery of novel lipid biomarker candidates for T2D (read the paper) 
  • Transcript assembly and functional characterization of heart-specific lncRNAs in collaboration with the University of Lausanne Medical School (read the paper) 
  • Transcriptomics data analysis from muscle biopsies in a human clinical trial investigating the effect of Urolithin A on muscle function (read the paper) 

Bioinformatics tools

We develop tailored web applications and software tools to present, analyze, visualize and interpret data and results. We use various standards as appropriate to ensure interoperability and reusability (e.g. W3C standards such as RDF).

In practice:

  • Development, in collaboration with EMBO, of SourceData - a web-based platform for curating and annotating figures in scientific publications (read the paper).
  • Development, in collaboration with the SIB Clinical Bioinformatics Group and the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), of Oncobench ® - a software platform to help cancer diagnosis (read the news)

Access our software stack

Software tools & web applications

Our approach

We strive to establish partnerships: even for one-off collaborations, we seek to deeply understand the data and the objectives of the project we work on. Our partners appreciate our reliability, commitment and team spirit. 

Our track record spans biomedical research projects of different sizes - from punctual help to long-term European projects. 

We are recognized for our flexibility and independence, allowing us to tailor efficient solutions and propose advisory services to each situation. For example, the collaboration can be customized to include our partner's own ontologies, provide support to validate internal approaches or integrate large and complex amounts of data of various types and origins. 

We train both beginners and experts in bioinformatics methods, languages and best practices. 

Our highly qualified team of 30 people has an average experience of over 10 years in the bioinformatics field. 

Ducrest AL, San-Jose LM, Neuenschwander S, Schmid-Siegert E, Simon C, Pagni M, Iseli C, Richter H, Guex N, Cumer T, Beaudoing E, Dupasquier M, Charruau P, Ducouret P, Xenarios I, Goudet J, Roulin A. Melanin and Neurotransmitter Signalling Genes Are Differentially Co-Expressed in Growing Feathers of White and Rufous Barn Owls. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2025;38(2):e70001

  1. Bozzi D, Neuenschwander S, Cruz Dávalos DI, Sousa da Mota B, Schroeder H, Moreno-Mayar JV, Allentoft ME, Malaspinas AS. Towards predicting the geographical origin of ancient samples with metagenomic data. Sci Rep 2024;14(1):21794
  2. Cailleau G, Junier T, Paul C, Fatton M, Corona-Ramirez A, Gning O, Beck K, Vidal J, Bürgmann H, Junier P. Temporal and spatial changes in the abundance of antibiotic resistance gene markers in a wastewater treatment plant. Water Environ Res 2024;96(8):e11104
  3. Castillo-Armengol J, Marzetta F, Sanchez-Archidona AR, Fledelius C, Evans M, McNeilly A, McCrimmon RJ, Ibberson M, Thorens B. Correction to: Disrupted hypothalamic transcriptomics and proteomics in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes exposed to recurrent hypoglycaemia. Diabetologia 2024;67(2):403
  4. Decken Ivd, Gutiérrez DR, Sproll P, Opitz L, Stevenson B, Azimi H, Lang-Muritano M, Konrad D, Lenherr-Taube N, Kennedy U, L’Allemand D, Livshits L, Raafat S, Nef S, Biason-Lauber A. Maximizing the Benefits of WES Data for Clinical Diagnosis of individuals with Differences/Variations of Sex Development 2024
  5. Delfin C, Dragan I, Kuznetsov D, Tajes JF, Smit F, Coral DE, Farzaneh A, Haugg A, Hungele A, Niknejad A, Hall C, Jacobs D, Marek D, Fraser DP, Thuillier D, Ahmadizar F, Mehl F, Pattou F, Burdet F, Hawkes G, Arts ICW, Blanch J, Van Soest J, Fernández-Real JM, Boehl J, Fink K, van Greevenbroek MMJ, Kavousi M, Minten M, Prinz N, Ipsen N, Franks PW, Ramos R, Holl RW, Horban S, Duarte-Salles T, Tran VDT, Raverdy V, Leal Y, Lenart A, Pearson E, Sparsø T, Giordano GN, Ioannidis V, Soh K, Frayling TM, Le Roux CW, Ibberson M. A Federated Database for Obesity Research: An IMI-SOPHIA Study. Life (Basel) 2024;14(2):262
  6. Gaudry A, Pagni M, Mehl F, Moretti S, Quiros-Guerrero LM, Cappelletti L, Rutz A, Kaiser M, Marcourt L, Queiroz EF, Ioset JR, Grondin A, David B, Wolfender JL, Allard PM. A Sample-Centric and Knowledge-Driven Computational Framework for Natural Products Drug Discovery. ACS Cent Sci 2024;10(3):494-510
  7. Gloyn AL, Ibberson M, Marchetti P, Powers AC, Rorsman P, Sander M, Solimena M. Author Correction: Every islet matters: improving the impact of human islet research. Nat Metab 2024;6(7):1415
  8. Gouy A, Wang X, Kapopoulou A, Neuenschwander S, Schmid E, Excoffier L, Heckel G. Genomes of Microtus Rodents Highlight the Importance of Olfactory and Immune Systems in Their Fast Radiation. Genome Biol Evol 2024;16(11):evae233
  9. Hurcombe JA, Dayalan L, Barrington F, Burdet F, Ni L, Coward JT, Brinkkoetter PT, Holzenberger M, Jeffries A, Oltean S, Welsh GI, Coward RJ. The insulin / IGF axis is critically important controlling gene transcription in the podocyte 2024
  10. Keller F, Denicolò S, Leierer J, Kruus M, Heinzel A, Kammer M, Ju W, Nair V, Burdet F, Ibberson M, Menon R, Otto E, Choi YJ, Pyle L, Ladd P, Bjornstad PM, Eder S, Rosivall L, Mark PB, Wiecek A, Heerspink HJL, Kretzler M, Oberbauer R, Mayer G, Perco P. Association of Urinary Epidermal Growth Factor, Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 3, and Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 Levels with the Progression of Early Diabetic Kidney Disease. Kidney Blood Press Res 2024;49(1):1013-1025
  11. Lay AC, Tran VDT, Nair V, Betin V, Hurcombe JA, Barrington AF, Pope RJ, Burdet F, Mehl F, Kryvokhyzha D, Ahmad A, Sinton MC, Lewis P, Wilson MC, Menon R, Otto E, Heesom KJ, Ibberson M, Looker HC, Nelson RG, Ju W, Kretzler M, Satchell SC, Gomez MF, Coward RJM, BEAt-DKD consortium. Profiling of insulin-resistant kidney models and human biopsies reveals common and cell-type-specific mechanisms underpinning Diabetic Kidney Disease. Nat Commun 2024;15(1):10018
  12. Li S, Dragan I, Tran VDT, Fung CH, Kuznetsov D, Hansen MK, Beulens JWJ, Hart LM', Slieker RC, Donnelly LA, Gerl MJ, Klose C, Mehl F, Simons K, Elders PJM, Pearson ER, Rutter GA, Ibberson M. Multi-omics subgroups associated with glycaemic deterioration in type 2 diabetes: an IMI-RHAPSODY Study. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024;15:1350796
  13. Mehl F, Sánchez-Archidona AR, Meitil I, Gerl M, Cruciani-Guglielmacci C, Wigger L, Le Stunff H, Meneyrol K, Lallement J, Denom J, Klose C, Simons K, Pagni M, Magnan C, Ibberson M, Thorens B. A multiorgan map of metabolic, signaling, and inflammatory pathways that coordinately control fasting glycemia in mice. iScience 2024;27(11):111134
  14. Niarakis A, Laubenbacher R, An G, Ilan Y, Fisher J, Flobak Å, Reiche K, Rodríguez Martínez M, Geris L, Ladeira L, Veschini L, Blinov ML, Messina F, Fonseca LL, Ferreira S, Montagud A, Noël V, Marku M, Tsirvouli E, Torres MM, Harris LA, Sego TJ, Cockrell C, Shick AE, Balci H, Salazar A, Rian K, Hemedan AA, Esteban-Medina M, Staumont B, Hernandez-Vargas E, Martis B S, Madrid-Valiente A, Karampelesis P, Sordo Vieira L, Harlapur P, Kulesza A, Nikaein N, Garira W, Malik Sheriff RS, Thakar J, Tran VDT, Carbonell-Caballero J, Safaei S, Valencia A, Zinovyev A, Glazier JA. Immune digital twins for complex human pathologies: applications, limitations, and challenges. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2024;10(1):141
  15. Palmieri F, Diserens J, Gresse M, Magnin M, Helle J, Salamin B, Bisanti L, Bernasconi E, Pernot J, Shanmuganathan A, Trompette A, von Garnier C, Junier T, Neuenschwander S, Bindschedler S, Pagni M, Koutsokera A, Ubags N, Junier P. One-Step Soft Agar Enrichment and Isolation of Human Lung Bacteria Inhibiting the Germination of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia. Microorganisms 2024;12(10):2025
  16. Sempach L, Doll JPK, Limbach V, Marzetta F, Schaub AC, Schneider E, Kettelhack C, Mählmann L, Schweinfurth-Keck N, Ibberson M, Lang UE, Schmidt A. Examining immune-inflammatory mechanisms of probiotic supplementation in depression: secondary findings from a randomized clinical trial. Transl Psychiatry 2024;14(1):305
  17. Slieker RC, Münch M, Donnelly LA, Bouland GA, Dragan I, Kuznetsov D, Elders PJM, Rutter GA, Ibberson M, Pearson ER, 't Hart LM, van de Wiel MA, Beulens JWJ. An omics-based machine learning approach to predict diabetes progression: a RHAPSODY study. Diabetologia 2024;67(5):885-894

 

Members

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