Genomics at NHS Expo 2015
The 100,000 Genomes Project has exhibition stand at the UK’s major health and care conference, NHS Expo.
The Genomics exhibition stand brought together key partners working on this ground-breaking project: Genomics England, Department of Health, NHS England, Health Education England and Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs). The stand was also shared with illumina, Congenica and WuXi NextCODE – innovative companies providing genome sequencing and genome interpretation for the Project.
The 100,000 Genomes Project focuses on sequencing all the genes (whole genome) of patients with rare diseases and their families, and patients with certain common cancers. Sequencing 100,000 genomes by 2017 will enable scientists and doctors to understand more about specific conditions and how we treat them.
Attendees were able to see this in action when they were shown how to follow the entire ‘journey’ each participant in the Project makes – from giving their consent to take part, to having their whole genome sequenced and the crucial annotation and interpretation of that data which leads to the feedback they eventually receive from their clinician. Visitors to the stand were also given the opportunity to extract their own DNA with help from colleagues from Manchester NHS Genomic Medicine Centre.
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health and George Freeman MP, Minister for Life Sciences were among the speakers at the conference.
You can read more about the 100,000 Genomes Project and the current 11 Genomics Medicine Centres in England in the NHS England leaflet ‘Creating a lasting legacy for genomic medicine’ here.
