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33 milion SEK to support and advance large-scale genomic research in Sweden

SciLifeLab has now announced giving 33 million SEK to 14 sequencing projects focused on human whole genome sequencing and biodiversity under the SciLifeLab National Sequencing Projects initiative. In total, thousands of genomes will be sequenced within the projects.

The SciLifeLab Board has announced its decision on funding 14 projects within the SciLifeLab National Projects initiative. The aim of the initiative is to support and advance large-scale genomic research in Sweden within both health and biodiversity by providing sequencing support to scientists through open calls. Thereby supporting them in carrying out competitive international research.

The grants are awarded as a deduction of costs for sample processing and sequencing at units hosted at SciLifeLab; the National Genomics Infrastructure (NGI) and the Microbial Single Cell Genomics unit.

All projects were peer-reviewed based on scientific impact, societal benefit, and technical feasibility by expert evaluators to carry out as impartial assessments as possible and to guarantee research excellence. The guidelines used at the Swedish Research Council have been used in the evaluation process.

The SciLifeLab National Sequencing Projects consist of two programs:

  • The Swedish Genomes Program: For research projects with the aim to understand genetic causes of human disease, and which have a translational value and demonstrate potential significance for improving future healthcare in Sweden.
  • The Swedish Biodiversity Program: For projects with the aim to understand genetic variation in nature and which will give novel biological insights and a societal benefit for the environment. All types of biodiversity (viruses, bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes) were included within the call.

The total amount of approved grants awarded by was over 33 million SEK. SciLifeLab received 21 applications within the Swedish Genomes Program and 27 applications within the Swedish Biodiversity Program, rewarding 4 respective 10 projects.

The granted projects within the Genomes Program focus on several human diseases including leukemia, type 2 diabetes, and malignant brain tumors (Glioblastomas) but also on the genetic background to adverse drug reactions (ADR). The biodiversity Program projects target biodiversity of a wide range of organisms, like bumblebees, Asgard arcaea, and viruses, and contains several large metagenomics studies. The projects aims to give us further knowledge in areas as diverse as coral reefs ecosystem, the dietary composition in wildlife and domestic animals over the last 50 000 years, the effects of antibiotic exposure on microbial ecosystems, and changes in biodiversity that might have an effect on or are affected by climate change.

The SciLifeLab National Sequencing Projects initiative has been made possible through support from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

A full list of approved grants is available as a downloadable PDF file.

 

About SciLifeLab and the National Sequencing Projects

The recent revolution in sequencing technology and Swedish investment in infrastructures, such as SciLifeLab, provides researchers with expertise and technology and are making genome sequencing increasingly available to the research community. As a standard SciLifeLab offers sequencing service where the instruments and personnel costs are covered by SciLifeLab, but reagent costs are covered by the research groups. To make sequencing even more available to scientists the SciLifeLab National Sequencing projects initiative have been introduced, granting a deduction of sequencing reagent costs to a number of projects.

 

For more information, please contact:

Ellenor Devine, Project Coordinator
nationalprojects@scilifelab.uu.se


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Last updated: 2017-11-28

Content Responsible: Scilifelab Administration()