The next generation of DNA science has arrived with the opening of the country’s first genome sequencing laboratory.
Based in Trinity College Dublin, it houses an “Illumina Genome Analyzer II” – the only one of its kind in Ireland.
Mapping the genome
Genome sequencing works out the exact order of the 3 billion chemical building blocks that make up the human DNA. The genome sequencing maps allow scientists to explore complex aspects of human biology and diseases.
The new cutting-edge laboratory will assist research into psychiatric disorders, cancers and infectious diseases.
Professor Michael Gill of TCD says that “Identifying causative or risk genes will advance our understanding of the biology of these disorders and inform the development of new methods of diagnosis and new drug therapies.”
The new laboratory was opened by the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan, on 8 June.
Learn more
Find out more about genome sequencing on the Human Genome Project website
