Early Sequencing

The US National Institutes of Health has announced that it is "seeking proposals for research projects on the implications of information obtained from sequencing the genome to identify diseases in newborns," says a press release from the agency. "The use of expanded genomic information has the potential to significantly impact newborn screening in both the clinical and public health setting and benefit numerous infants and children," says Tiina Urv from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in a statement. "However, it is vital that the use of genomic technology in newborns is explored in a thoughtful manner by teams of scientists who develop technology, treat children, and examine the ethical, legal and societal implications of implementing such programs." Daily Scan's sister publication GenomeWeb Daily News has more on this $25 million announcement here.