by Playfuls Staff |
21st November 2006
The U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute has announced support for large-scale sequencing centers in Boston, [more] Houston and St. Louis.
Federal officials also announced Monday all three sequencing centers will devote a significant part of their efforts to The Cancer Genome Atlas Pilot Project, which is testing the feasibility of a large-scale, systematic approach to identify important genomic changes involved in cancer.
"Genomic sequencing has already made a substantial impact on both biological and medical research," said Dr. Francis Collins, NHGRI director. "A major focus of the next phase will be medical sequencing, which involves using sequencing technologies to identify genes that contribute to common human diseases, most of which have so far eluded gene hunters."
The three NHGRI-supported, large-scale sequencing centers and their approximate Fiscal Year 2007 funding levels are:
-- The Broad Institute Sequencing Platform of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, $48 million.
-- The Washington University Genome Sequencing Center, Washington University School of Medicine, $41 million.
-- The Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, $27.6 million.
© 2006 UPI
