The UK is set to become a world leader in genetic research into cancer and rare diseases, with the help of an investment worth more than £300 million.
Part of this package is a £24 m investment by the Medical Research Council to provide the computing power that will help ensure that data from participants will be properly analysed and interpreted, and made available to doctors and researchers securely.
The Prime Minister has also pledged that the UK will map 100,000 human genomes by 2017. He described a new partnership between Genomics England and Illumina that will deliver infrastructure and expertise for the four-year project.
The project will allow scientists to look into decoding 100,000 human genomes.
Sir John Chisholm, executive chair of Genomics England, said: “This is a real milestone in turning this ambitious project into what we always intended which is a world leading project capable of delivering immense benefit to current and future patients.”
The Wellcome Trust has invested more than £1 billion in genomic research and has agreed to spend £27 m on a world class sequencing hub at its Genome Campus near Cambridge. This will house Genomics England’s operations alongside those of the internationally respected Sanger Institute.
NHS England has started the process of selecting the first NHS Genomics Medicine Centres. Successful centres will help to progress the project by inviting cancer and rare disease patients to take part to have their genome sequenced. NHS England has agreed to underwrite an NHS contribution of up to £20 m over the life of the project.
It is expected that around 40,000 NHS patients could benefit directly from the research. Ultimately the work will pave the way for genomics-based medicine to become part of everyday practice throughout the NHS.
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