The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) is a national initiative with a global vision that seeks to use genomic sciences to improve public health and public prosperity. As a center for genomic discovery, the GIS will pursue the integration of technology, genetics and biology towards the goal of individualized medicine.
The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) is the national flagship program for the genomic sciences in Singapore. In March 2001, Professor Edison T. Liu, (previously the Director of the Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute (USA)), was appointed the first executive director of GIS. As a molecular biologist, epidemiologist and physician, Professor Liu embodies the core values of GIS : scientific integration, medical focus and internationalization.
The Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) is the parent funding body for the GIS and has a long term commitment to create a world-class infrastructure.
In October 2003, we inaugurated our new research building, the Genome - a 7,200 sq meter advanced facility. Set in the Biopolis - a 180 hectare biomedical city within the Buona Vista Science Hub, the Genome is adjacent to other biomedical institutes such as Singapore's Institute of Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, the Bioinformatics Institute, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Biotechnology Institute, the Biomedical Research Council, regional and multinational industrial R&D organizations. The Biopolis provides an excellent environment conducive to the exchange of knowledge and collegial interactions. It was planned as a complete community that supports living, working, learning and playing: combining state-of-art research infrastructure with entertainment and educational facilities.
Here, GIS will grow to house over 300 scientists, trainees and staff. The major technical platforms of high throughput sequencing, molecular cytogenetics, bioinformatics, proteomics and expression array techn ologies have been integrated with programs in molecular and cellular biology, computational biology and population genetics.
With these components in place, GIS is well positioned for success.
Our scientific focus will be to investigate questions in the realm of functional genomics and integrative biology. We will exploit the intersect between genomics, cell biology, and medicine and take advantage of the contrasting genetic history of Pan-Asian populations to uncover fundamental truths. Our biological focuses on cancer biology, stem cell genomics, cellular pharmacology, and host-pathogen interactions are integrated with technology development in order to create novel solutions to difficult problems. Consistent with our remit as a national resource, we will provide the genomic infrastructure for Singapore and train new talent in this emerging field. As the nucleating force for collaborative genomic studies in Singapore, the GIS seeks to unite Singaporean scientists around c ollective projects of significance and will extend this partnership internationally in both the academic and commercial sectors.