The University of Edinburgh has been granted £46.3 million by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to support its work investigating DNA.
The research will seek to find ways that everyone’s genetic code influences health and disease. The so-called dark genome is the “under explored 98 per cent of people’s DNA” which may shed light on genetic diseases. DNA is a double helix shaped molecule that carries genetic information making each organism unique.
The five year funding programme will enable scientists to focus on the remaining parts of DNA which may have a role to play in controlling genes. The research could be crucial in developing treatment of cancer and finding out more about the way genomes work. The resources will also be used to encourage people from a variety of scientific backgrounds to train in biomedicine.
Professor Wendy Bickmore, Director of the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said: “It’s exciting that we now have so much human genome sequence data, but we need to turn that data into knowledge about how our genome works in health and disease. This new funding will enable us to tackle that challenge together, harnessing experimental and computational expertise to better understand, manage and treat disease and, ultimately, improve the lives of people living with genetic conditions and cancers.”
Dr Megan Dowie, MRC Head of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, said: “There are major questions to answer in genetics and genomics research, including how variation in the non-coding genome regulates health and disease, and it is vital that we further our understanding in this complex area and underpin the development of new diagnostics and therapies. We are delighted to be supporting the innovative research at the MRC Human Genetics Unit to continue addressing these important questions over the next 5 years.”
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