NEW YORK — The National Institutes of Health has awarded Phase Genomics two grants worth a combined $3.9 million. The funds will support research on sequencing-based proximity ligation (Hi-C) assays that can be used in cytogenetics.
The Small Business Innovation Research grants each provide $1.9 million over three years and will help Seattle-based Phase Genomics develop new, highly-scalable methods for detecting chromosomal rearrangements in human samples. They come from the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
"Over the last few years, we have witnessed our technology fundamentally impact several fields of genomic research," Phase Genomics CEO and Cofounder Ivan Liachko said in a statement. "Applying the power of this method to human health will lead to an improved understanding of genome dynamics and related disease states. The NIH funding gives us the opportunity to transform this method’s potential into clinical reality."
The awards add to $3.5 million in grant funding already obtained by Phase Genomics, a University of Washington spinout, including grants to develop microbiome discovery tools and antimicrobial resistance tracking kits.