NUI Galway to lead €13m genomics data science research centre
NUI Galway will lead a new €13 million SFI Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science. The new Centre will train a 100 PhD graduates from UCD, TCD, RCSI and UCC to harness the collective potential of genomics and data science to have transformative scientific, economic and societal impacts.
A genome is an organisms complete set of DNA or genetic material and it contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism. It has applications across a broad range of sectors, including human health, industrial biotechnology, food science and agriculture.
In health, genomics is already beginning to be used to diagnose rare genetic disorders. It can also predict the risk of common, complex disorders, in which lifestyle plays a role, raising the possibility of interventions targeted towards at-risk individuals. New cancer therapies now target specific genomic mutations found in cancer cells. Genomics is also used to guide improvements in agricultural crops, enabling disease resistance and improving yields. Genomics-guided animal breeding has resulted in large gains in productivity, with further improvements possible.
Prof Cathal Seoighe, Stokes Professor of Bioinformatics, and Director of the SFI Centre for Research Training in Genomics & Data Science, NUI Galway, said: “Genomes are at the heart of all living things. In combination with modern data science techniques, genomics has the capacity both to reveal deep biological insights and to transform applications of the life sciences from health to food and agriculture.”
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