We are thrilled to announce that the Functional Genomics Screening Laboratory (FGSL) has been awarded an OBN Award in the Most Impactful Industry Collaboration category. This recognises the pioneering work taking place in the FGSL — a collaboration between the Milner Therapeutics Institute (MTI) at the University of Cambridge, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and AstraZeneca — to accelerate the development of biomarkers and therapeutics for chronic diseases by interrogating the genome at scale.
The FGSL is based at our institute and is part of the UK Human Functional Genomics Initiative, contributing to the UK’s ambition of having the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world. The robotics and other equipment in the new laboratory are state-of-the-art for arrayed CRISPR screening, enabling screens ranging from tens to hundreds of genes through to whole-genome scale.
It is the first centre to offer arrayed CRISPR screening on this scale for chronic disease through collaborations with researchers from across the UK. This will enable more laboratories to identify novel targets for drug discovery across a range of diseases including cardiovascular, inflammatory, respiratory and metabolic conditions.
Winning this award affirms our ethos that collaboration is key to innovation. For our researchers, partners and stakeholders, this recognition is a vote of confidence in our strategy of combining cutting-edge genomics, functional screening and industrial-scale development. We extend our heartfelt thanks to OBN, our collaborators at the MRC and AstraZeneca, and the members of the MTI team who continue to contribute to the success of the laboratory.
How to apply
All information regarding the application process, the application form and arrayed CRISPR screens is available on the FGSL webpage and on the Functional Genomics Screening Laboratory space of the Connect: Health Tech (C:HT) online community. A review of submitted applications will take place twice yearly by the FGSL joint steering committee, which is made up of representatives from the MRC, AZ and the MTI, and a panel of scientists who are experts on arrayed CRISPR screens and complex in vitro human models.