WELLINGTON, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government will invest up to 35 million NZ dollars (25.6 million U.S. dollars) over seven years in Genomics Aotearoa, a new collaborative science organization supporting advanced genomics research, Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith said on Friday.
"Genomics is a fast-moving, data intensive research field that underpins a wide range of science that is increasingly important to New Zealand," Goldsmith said.
Led by the University of Otago, Genomics Aotearoa is an alliance between the Universities of Auckland and Massey, other institutes and 32 associate organizations including researchers and end users of genomics and bioinformatics.
This new collaborative platform presents a major opportunity for New Zealand to be at the forefront of genomics, Goldsmith said, adding "from health research to the primary sector and our environment, there are considerable social and economic gains on offer."
Genomics involves data-intensive computing to decode the DNA of plants, animals, and humans to understand how groups of genes interact with each other and the external environment. It is not genetic modification, which is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome, Goldsmith explained.
This investment will establish Genomics Aotearoa as a collaborative platform of genomics research that grows New Zealand's capability, builds international connections, and develops the tools and technologies that will support the country's genomics researchers in delivering excellent science, the minister said.
"The new platform will accelerate genomics research in New Zealand, and thereby speed up our understanding of diseases like Kauri dieback, how to counter pest animal species, and develop new medical treatments for diseases such as cancer," he said.
