Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation
The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) is a research institution specializing in basic biological as well as drug discovery research using high-throughput techniques. The institute was originally known as the Novartis Institute for Functional Genomics and this name is still used sometimes.[1][2] It is a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) research center[3] located in the Torrey Pines Science Park in La Jolla, California, and was started in 1999. The institute was originally funded through the Novartis Foundation while the foundation was in existence, and is currently funded directly by Novartis. Together with the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) in Singapore and Friedrich Miescher Institute (FMI) in Basel, GNF comprises the corporate research arm of Novartis.[4] The institute has more than 500 employees.[5]
The institute is among the few institutes in the world that focus almost solely on functional genomics in the post-genomic era. In addition, it is unique because it brings together chemists, biologists and engineers together under a single roof.[6]
Apart from its core achievements in life sciences, the institute is recognized for its efforts in energy efficient operations.[7]
Architecture
The institute consists of six buildings connected by a central circulation spine[8] The gross areas of each are:
- Bldg. A: 13,204 gsf (gross sq. ft.)
- Bldg. C: 80,139 gsf
- Bldg. E: 50,723 gsf
- Bldg. F: 38,593 gsf
- Bldg. G: 47,902 gsf
- Bldg. H: 15,848 gsf
Building A serves as a nodal point for shipping and handling. Materials are distributed through an underground level O that feeds into each building.
Mission
GNF focuses on:[9]
- Tackling important biological and therapeutic problems.
- Leveraging GNF tools, technologies, and discovery biology in a highly opportunistic fashion to maximize productivity and accelerate the drug discovery process.
- Synergizing with and complementing Novartis drug discovery efforts.
- Developing collaborative interactions with the academic research community that enable and enhance our drug discovery programs.
- Serving as an incubator for new drug discovery approaches and management practices within the Novartis family.
Collaborations
GNF provides its leading automation technologies to external collaborators through its commercial business unit named GNF Systems.[10][11] This is a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) facility for the commercial manufacture of high throughput instrumentation.[3]
Key achievements
- Characterization of tissue specificity of mouse and human genes through expression profiling.[12]
- Use of automation technologies normally employed in the automotive industry for ultra high throughput screening (uHTPS) enabling cost effective screening of up to 2 million compounds per day.[6]
- Development of a Gene Wiki software framework for annotation of gene information in Wikipedia.[13]
- SNP genotyping of 48 mouse strains at more than 10,000 genomic loci, and the creation of a web-based database to make this information publicly accessible.[14]
- More than 450 scientific publications since 2000.[15]
References
- ↑ PR Newswire - news distribution, targeting and monitoring
- ↑ Molsoft L.L.C.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 GNF.org
- ↑ Novartis
- ↑ The Scripps Research Institute - Creating Hope through Science
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Promega Corporation
- ↑ Diego Gas & Electric
- ↑ X-NTH.COM
- ↑ Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation
- ↑ GNFsystems.com
- ↑ GNF.org
- ↑ GNF.org
- ↑ Public Library of Science
- ↑ GNF.org
- ↑ GNF.org
External links
- GNF Official website
- Novartis Foundation Official website
- Novartis Official website
- Map showing the location of GNF. GNF Map