EASI Genomics: A project to provide free-of-charge access to sequencing technologies

The European Advanced infraStructure for Innovative Genomics (EASI-Genomics), a project funded under the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, will provide researchers free-of-charge access to cutting-edge European genomics facilities. EASI-Genomics joins 16 academic and industrial partners to support diverse genomics project from study design, over state-of-the-art sequencing to bioinformatic analysis. EASI-Genomics is an infrastructure project with a total budget of 10 million € that will handle between 150 and 300 projects over a period of 4 years. Ivo Gut from the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CNAG-CRG) coordinates the project.

The first call for proposals will focus on sequencing of ancient DNA from archaeological samples, analysis of microbiomes that study the diversity and particularities of populations of microorganisms related to diseases, the study of genetic material at single cell level, and epigenetic modifications of genetic material and its organisation in human diseases. This first call is launched today, 25th March. EASI-Genomics represents a great opportunity for researchers to access high-end sequencing services delivered by European genomics infrastructures of excellence free-of-charge.

The project started with a kick-off meeting on 18th and 19th February 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. Apart from providing easy and seamless access to cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies to researchers from academia and industry, EASI-Genomics will support scientists to ensure compliance with the latest European and national ethical and legal requirements, secure data management and data sharing. EASI-Genomics aims at building a community of practice which leverages advanced sequencing technologies beyond country and sector borders to tackle global challenges in science.

Research institution partners of EASI Genomics:

* Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CNAG-CRG), Spain- http://www.cnag.crg.eu

* Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA-CNRGH), France http://jacob.cea.fr/drf/ifrancoisjacob/Pages/Departements/CNRGH.aspx

* Christian-Albrecht-Universität zu Kiel (CAU), Germany
https://www.uni-kiel.de/de/

* Max-Delbruck Centrum fur Molekularemedizin (MDC), Germany
https://www.mdc-berlin.de/

* Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
https://www.kuleuven.be/english/

* Stockholm Universitet (SU), Sweden
https://www.su.se/english/

* Uppsala Universitet (UU), Sweden
https://www.uu.se/en

* Kunliga Tekniska Hoegskolan (KTH) SciLifeLab, Stockholm (National Genomics Infrastructure (NGI), Sweden
https://www.kth.se/en and https://www.scilifelab.se/

* Deutsches Krebsforshungzentrum Heidelberg (DKFZ), Germany http://www.dkfz.de/gpcf/

* Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), France
http://www.u1027.inserm.fr/

* Medizinische Universitat Graz (MUG), Austria
https://www.medunigraz.at/en/

* European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Germany
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/

* Tartu Ulikool (UTARTU), Estonia
https://www.geenivaramu.ee/et

* Charité – Universität Berlin (CHARITE), Germany
https://genomics.charite.de/

* LGC Limited (LGC)- United Kingdom
https://www.lgcgroup.com/

* QIAGEN GmBH (QIAGEN GmBH), Germany https://corporate.qiagen.com/impressum

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