Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research (CIGMR)
Since its inception, the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research (CIGMR), has applied its expertise in genetic epidemiology and in-house resource infrastructure to enable high quality research on diseases that have a complex gene/environment basis.
Formed in 2001, CIGMR is part of the Genomic Epidemiology Research Group in the Research School of Translational Medicine. CIGMR integrates gene transcript profiling with high throughput genetic linkage and association approaches to investigate common complex clinical conditions in populations and response to therapies in individuals. With an emphasis on collaboration, both within the UK and internationally, CIGMR manages its own highly productive programme of research.
Research
CIGMR also functions as a genomics research resource centre, providing a wide range of key competencies and sophisticated technical platforms supporting academic and clinical groups, university spin-out companies, SMEs and the biotech community and also fulfils a wide range of training needs in post-genome science, including postgraduate students and clinical research fellows.
CIGMR provides genetic epidemiology expertise, laboratory facilities and access to biological samples from well phenotyped patients recruited through large longitudinal studies. This enables fully integrated research to be carried out in one place. CIGMR manages extensive DNA collections including the UK DNA Banking Network (UDBN) for the Medical Research Council and partners with the University of Liverpool to house the UK DNA Archive for Companion Animals.
Collaborative and scientific services
The scientific services that CIGMR offers to collaborators include study design, sample collection, processing and storage using state of the art equipment and developed and tested techniques and processes backed by a high commitment to quality through ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. CIGMR provides expertise in areas such as genetic study design and data analysis, ethics committee applications and bioinformatics.
This is alongside access to comprehensive high throughput laboratory facilities including a range of genotyping platforms, core DNA sequencing and microarray transcriptomics, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue typing. The Centre enters into academic research collaborations and also works on a service basis.
Affiliations
The Centre is a founder member of the Post-genome Consortium, a cross-institutional regional initiative that now has eight component partner groups. CIGMR is a key member of P3G (Public Projects in Genomics) - an international group facilitating collaboration and harmonisation of large-scale projects in population genetics.
CIGMR has helped facilitate large-scale academic investment in the Northwest and raise the regional research profile in the area of genomics. One example is UK Biobank, a £61 million project, where the University of Manchester was successful in bidding to host the UK Biobank Coordinating Centre.
CIGMR has now relocated some of its facilities to be within The Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (MIB) - a £30 million project to promote Systems Biology and Translational Medicine.
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