Better crops and healthy humans on the horizon through new Centre

 
Professor Matthew Bellgard

Growing better wheat crops, combat-ing disease and understanding genetic traits in humans are just a few of the outcomes on the horizon from a new research centre in Western Australia that will take a unique approach to genetic research, driven by software expertise.

The WA Centre for Comparative Genomics, which will receive nearly $1.5 million over the next three years from the State Centres of Excellence program, will use bioinformatics to unravel complicated genetic problems found in human medicine and agriculture and biotechnology.

Centre Director Professor Matthew Bellgard said this fresh approach was all about promoting a shared understanding between genetics researchers.

'Currently there are hundreds of genetics researchers that have specialised in looking at a particular plant, or disease. However all animals, plants and humans have the same basic genetic code, and looking at different species, and even different individuals within each species, can provide comparisons that shed new light on deciphering the mounds of genetic data available.'

'As DNA sequencing has gained momentum in research laboratories around the world, it has produced an unprecedented volume of genomic data. Bioinformatics uses information technology, computer science and biology to understand this data and can be adapted to study the genetic make-up of all living organisms to answer complex questions about disease, diagnostics and breeding.'

The Centre will focus on comparative genomics in wheat and legumes, human and animal disease, and human gene analysis and diagnostics.

The Centre is a collaborative arrange-ment between Murdoch University, The University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, Tokai University (Japan), Proteomics International, Beijing Genomics Institute and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.