The makeup of the human body is determined by genes. For every human gene, there are hundreds of corresponding bacterial ones. This is what is referred to as your “microbiome.” The microbiome has a huge impact on your health, including your digestive system and more.

The fast-growing field of precision medicine aims to follow through on the potential of personalization and data aggregation technologies in an era of smarter healthcare. Its purpose is twofold: to better understand the mechanisms of disease, and to promote more modern and equitable approaches to care.

Here in California, precision medicine has received a surge of adrenaline from the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM), a program launched in 2015. CIAPM has seen to completion eight innovative, collaborative translational research projects all over the state from a variety of private and public institutions, awarding over $11 million in support to explore fascinating ideas and make important and useful discoveries.

The Challenge of AKU

Alkaptonuria, or AKU, is a rare and less-studied inherited metabolic disorder. It results from a deficiency of homogentisic acid dioxygenase (HGD), part of the tyrosine degradation pathway. As of yet, there is no cure. However, The National Centre for Alkaptonuria, hosted by The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals, is supporting international clinical trials that may help change that. And clinical chemist Joseph Taylor says that Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling (VAMS^®) technology and Mitra^® devices already play an important role in the relevant drug development process.

Monitoring the physical health of individuals with mental health issues is an integral part of ensuring patients get the healthcare they need. Research has proven patients with serious mental illnesses are also prone to serious physical health issues. Improving data-gathering prowess and technological capabilities afford us new and better ways to help.

Great science and smarter healthcare need better blood collection and stronger support. That’s the ideas behind the VAMS^® Incubator Program, a powerful new resource for blood collection innovators in the worlds of healthcare, science, and research.

Medical technology, also known as "healthtech" or "medtech," manifests in a wide range of products tailored for smarter healthcare for the human population. The innovation of these technologies is meant to improve the delivery of healthcare in a number of ways.