NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – The University of Melbourne announced this week a new research center for the genomics of infectious diseases.
The Doherty Centre for Applied Microbial Genomics, part of the university's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, will use next-generation sequencing to identify and track infectious disease. The research center will be housed at the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory.
University of Melbourne Professor Ben Howden, who will direct the new center, said that NGS technology and advanced computing resources would allow the center to quickly respond to outbreaks of disease.
The new center "will transform how we track and respond to infections caused by antibiotic-resistant superbugs," Doherty Institute Director Sharon Lewin said in a statement. "A united and coordinated national effort is the key to harnessing the full power of genomics to fight infectious diseases."
The Doherty Institute, which opened last fall, is a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health.