Gene research facility opens at ANU

A $20 million national facility which will help the nation to remain at the cutting edge of gene research has been officially opened at The Australian National University.

The Australian Phenomics Facility is a new Major National Research Facility for discovering how the genes in the human genome coordinate the function and health of the human body (our phenome).

The Facility has launched a new program, Conquering Immunological Diseases, to explore a gene-function bottleneck that is holding up the development of treatments for cancer, auto-immune diseases, allergy and chronic infection.

The Facility is based in a new 6000 m2 building at ANU and will spearhead development of new methods of identifying interconnections between genes and health.

Australian and international researchers are using the Facility to make advances in a range of immunological diseases including leukaemia, arthritis and allergy, diabetes and obesity, breast cancer and lactation, fertility and infertility, gastroenterological disorders, kidney disease, blood disorders, hearing and deafness, and many other important problems for Australian and international health.

The Australian Phenomics Facility has been established by the Commonwealth Government Department of Education, Science and Training, in partnership with The Australian National University, Monash University, The Garvan Institute, and the University of Queensland.