Genomics center still growing

The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics was created in 2000. Now 10 years later, the CGB has grown into a rapidly evolving research institute and service center that is currently working on 60 different projects.

“It was created to facilitate the development of modern genomic and bioinformatic research at IU and to catalyze the development of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary investigations in the life sciences,” said Jennifer Steinbachs, deputy director at the center.

The center offers different scientific services that help many biological researchers on campus and around the globe.

“The labs of many professors in biology, the medical school, SPEA and even anthropology are being helped by scientists in the CGB in ways that they can’t help themselves,” said Keithanne Mockaitis, director of sequencing operations. “We generate massive amounts of data and analyze it for researchers on campus and around the world.” 

The CGB is working on developing new environmental monitoring technologies that can demonstrate the presence of major water pollutants.

Mockaitis is currently working on a project funded by Mars, Inc., the chocolate company. In her project, she is helping to determine the sequence of the genome of the tree that produces cocoa used for chocolate production.

The center is also working with a group of scientists from other universities and government labs to study the sequence of the genes in wild strawberries.

“Data from these projects will be used eventually in food crop breeding programs,” Mockaitis said.

In the future, scientists at the center said they hope their work will become more applicable.

“Our work should begin to become more relevant to everyday life, aiding in development of medical screening technologies, in environmental pollution detection and in agricultural pest control,” Steinbachs said.