WARSAW, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Poland's largest population genomics initiative, "Genomics for Poland," was launched on Saturday in Poznan, according to the Polish Press Agency.
Led by the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ICHB PAN), the initiative brings together 12 scientific and research institutions from across the country.
The project aims to build a nationwide genomics research infrastructure, including a network of laboratories providing genome sequencing services and a central repository of genomic data managed by the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center.
Luiza Handschuh, director of ICHB PAN and head of its genomics laboratory, said the initiative is expected to contribute to broader use of genomics in scientific research, medicine and industry, particularly in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and information technology.
"Until now, genomics projects in Poland have been carried out in a scattered manner by individual institutions. We want to connect genomics laboratories into a single collaborative network using shared infrastructure," Handschuh said at a press conference.
"By studying genomes on a large scale, we can assess the risk of developing certain diseases, such as breast cancer or cardiovascular diseases. This is the future of medicine," she added. ■
