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Rutgers Biorepository Completes Expansion, Creating New Genomics Technology Center

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – An $11.8 million renovation of RUCDR Infinite Biologics, a university-based biorepository, has been completed, creating a new Genomics Technology Center.

The new center, comprising 12,500 square feet of laboratory, office, and storage space, is being housed on the Busch Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

The Genomics Technology Center, funded with a $9.5 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, more commonly known as the stimulus package, will provide services to government agencies, foundations, and private industry, including pharmaceutical companies, RUCDR said. With the expansion, RUCDR was also named by the National Institutes of Health as the provider of sample processing, analysis, and storage, and data management for research projects funded through four NIH institutes.

"The Genomics Technology Center was built through the stimulus for the purpose of stimulating NIH-funded research," Jay Tischfield, RUCDR founder and CEO, said in a statement. "This will advance our understanding of the causes of diseases, particularly mental disorders and addictions."

RUCDR is run through Rutgers and provides sample processing, analysis, and storage services. It also provides DNA, RNA, and cell lines with clinical data for research into mental health and developmental disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, diabetes, and digestive, liver, and kidney diseases. It said that it currently stores more than 12 million biosamples.

"We've integrated our operation to make us more efficient, thereby increasing our capacity so we can better serve NIH-funded researchers but also to make our services more available to the private sector," Andrew Brooks, COO, director of technology development and Rutgers associate research professor of genetics, said in a statement. "We've expanded out infrastructure and doubled our automation analytical capabilities. Our goal is standardize biosample collection, processing, distribution, and analysis to facilitate and accelerate the disease-discovery process."

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