Investigator
Functional Genomics, GSK
Explore how our collaboration with the University of California to establish a new Laboratory for Genomics Research (LGR) will help accelerate the development of next generation functional genomics technologies and build on the databases we have available from human genetics, including our 23andMe collaboration.
With the recent explosion of information from human genetics, scientists need powerful tools to understand why these small changes in a person’s genetic make-up can increase the risk of diseases. This is the area of science called functional genomics.
Radu is an investigator in our functional genomics lab in Stevenage. Go #BehindTheScience as he explains more about functional genomics technology.
Functional genomics investigates how a gene in the genome works, for example by understanding where it is translated into a protein. Functional genomics allows us to do this genome-wide, so scientists can ask multiple questions in one experiment by knocking out, turning on or changing multiple genes.
The most powerful tool in functional genomics, CRISPR, allows this to be done at a scale, which was once thought impossible, because it is easily programmable. Tools like CRISPR help scientists further understand the function of genetic variants, pointing the way to novel therapies. We know that genetically validated targets are twice as likely to succeed during clinical evaluation [1].
We want to automate and scale existing CRISPR technologies – that’s why we recently announced our collaboration with the University of California to establish a new Laboratory for Genetics Research (LGR).
Technology is key to our innovation strategy at GSK and CRISPR is one of the most important technologies of our time.
The LGR unites the scientific and technology know-how of GSK with the world-class genomics expertise of Professors Jennifer Doudna (a co-inventor of CRISPR technology) and Jonathan Weissman (a pioneer of CRISPR screening technology), both Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators.
This collaboration has the potential to improve our approach to drug development and how we deliver new medicines to patients.
References
[1] Nelson et al (2015) The support of human genetic evidence for approved drug indications https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3314
