Life Technologies announces a series of investments and new technologies for genetic sequencing research
October 14, 2017
Separately, the Life Technologies Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Life Technologies, announced $5 million in grants over the next two years to accelerate the education of physicians in the field of molecular medicine. In its first grants under this objective, the Foundation has granted a total of $600,000 to the Scripps Translational Science Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Scripps, under the direction of Dr. Eric Topol, its director and a prominent cardiologist and geneticist, will use the funds to create a new accreditation board, the Association of Genomic Medicine (AGM), in 2010 for physicians specializing in molecular medicine. The AGM will be tasked with educating physicians and healthcare professionals in this rapidly developing field by establishing an educational curriculum that would lead to the accreditation of physicians in genomic medicine.
???There is a profound unmet need in educating doctors on the advances being made in genomics,??? Topol said. ???Only a small percentage of practicing physicians today feel comfortable with their knowledge base of genomic and molecular medicine. It's commendable that the Life Technologies Foundation has been one of the first to recognize and take action to address this need. There is unprecedented progress in the field that, with enhanced educational programs, will allow physicians to individualize the use of medications and even prevent the onset of diseases in the future.???
TGen, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on developing earlier diagnostics and smarter treatments, will use the Foundation funding for two fellowships in genomic and molecular medicine focused on the treatment of rare cancers. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, TGen??™s physician in chief, the funds will also be used for workshops for physicians interested in understanding how genomics can be used to change the course of medical treatment.
???The pace of innovation is rapid, and the need for solutions that affect human health requires ever greater velocity,??? Lucier said. ???We are committed to taking the steps necessary, from the introduction of new products to greater financial investments and educational initiatives, to enable the translation of sequencing solutions from the research lab to the clinic.???
Source: Life Technologies Corporation