Platform Centers & Hubs

What were Platform Centers & Hubs?

Platform Centers & Hubs were a special type of project funded by PHRT that aimed to establish (digital) infrastructures and services for use by the wider research community.

Swiss Multi-Omics Center (SMOC)

Within the PHRT program, the Swiss Multi-Omics Center (SMOC) was established as an engine for multi-omics data generation, analysis, and interpretation. It brings together three entities: the Genomics Platform, the Proteomics Platform, and the Metabolomics Platform. For secure data processing and sharing, SMOC is integrated into the SPHN/BioMedIT secure computational infrastructure.

Impact for patients and medicine

Clinical Stream: SMOC provides high-quality molecular data at the DNA, RNA, protein, metabolite, and lipid levels to support clinical insights.
Multi-omics analysis is becoming an essential tool for improving the understanding of disease mechanisms and supporting more precise diagnoses.

Impact for research and development

Exploratory Research Stream: SMOC enables the integration, visualization, and analysis of omics data mapped onto biological networks and pathways.
SPHN BioMedIT infrastructure integration: Through its integration with the BioMedIT infrastructure, SMOC supports data lineage tracking, secure data management, data sharing, and advanced secondary and tertiary analyses.

By combining advanced technologies with technical expertise, interdisciplinarity, and extensive experience in interpreting omics data, SMOC supports high-quality research beyond data generation alone.

Dr. Sandra Götze

SMOC Coordinator & Head of Proteomics

Prof. Dr. Jacques Fellay

Head of Genomics

Prof. Dr. Nicolas Zamboni

SMOC

Precision Imaging Hub

The Precision Imaging Hub was launched within the PHRT program as a cross-institutional initiative bringing together research groups from Empa, EPFL, ETH Zurich, and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The hub aimed to connect biomedical imaging researchers across the ETH Domain with clinical partners to support research that improves the use of imaging technologies and data processing in precision medicine.

The hub’s activities covered areas ranging from image acquisition technologies and multimodal data integration to advanced data analysis and clinical imaging software.

Impact for patients and medicine

Strengthened collaboration between clinical centers and ETH Domain researchers, creating new synergies.
Development of new technologies and improved diagnostic capabilities enabling faster and more accurate image analysis.
Advances in image analysis supporting improved and more timely diagnosis.

Impact for research and development

Harmonization of research protocols and processes across ETH Domain institutions.
Cross-fertilization and further development of medical imaging technologies.
Integration of imaging analysis into broader multi-modal precision medicine approaches, opening new research opportunities.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kozerke

ETH Zurich

Prof. Dr. Michael Unser

EPFL

Prof. Dr. Marco Stampanoni

PSI

Prof. Dr. Antonia Neels

Empa

Personalized Health Data Analysis Hub

The Personalized Health Data Analysis Hub was established as a joint initiative of the two Strategic Focus Areas (SFAs) PHRT and the Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC). The hub was created to support data science in the field of omics data analysis, particularly the integration and analysis of data generated by the Swiss Multi-Omics Center (SMOC). Its work contributes to improving the understanding and analysis of complex multimodal datasets.

Impact for patients and medicine

Advanced processing and refinement of clinical omics data provide additional insights for medical research.
Integration of clinical data with omics data enables deeper understanding of disease mechanisms.
Improved interpretation of omics data supports the translation of research findings into clinical applications.

Impact for research and development

Enhanced data processing increases the scientific value obtained from omics analyses.
Improved integration of datasets within multi-omics precision medicine approaches helps reveal new biological relationships.
Broader collaboration and expertise applied to shared datasets expand analytical possibilities and research outcomes.