Today's Research. Tomorrow's Medicine.

Our Technology Platform

A key element of the GSC is the sequencing, bioinformatics and proteomics platforms. With world-renowned expertise in genomics research and internationally-recognized bioinformatic capabilities, the GSC operates a platform to support researchers and collaborators in Canada and around the world.

We partner with researchers, guide experimental design, execute high quality processing of complex and valuable biological samples and provide extensive bioinformatics analyses with the aim of making genomics research accessible to our partners and collaborators within the scientific community.

The priority of the platforms is to develop innovative means to automate the sequencing process, develop cost-effective measures that will make such research financially viable, and utilize leading edge computing tools to collect, mine, analyze and disperse data collected at this and other genome facilities. To accomplish this, the platform fully exploits the most recent technological advances in genomics, proteomics, and high performance computing, within a state-of-the-art facility designed to generate and extract information from complex samples and valuable sample collections, for the benefit and use of the wider scientific community.

Learn more about our platforms and services, and if you are interested in partnering with the GSC on your research project, please fill out a contact form or speak with one of our Platform Leaders directly.

Our Scientific Research

The GSC is one of nine research departments and programs that operate as part of the BC Cancer Research Centre. BC Cancer, part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, provides a province-wide cancer control program for the residents of British Columbia. Additional support is provided by funds raised by the BC Cancer Foundation for cancer research.

The 15 faculty members at the GSC have a diverse range of expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, epigenomics, immunogenetics and cancer biology. Together, we broadly apply our expertise to advance our knowledge of cancer and other diseases, to improve human health through disease prevention, to develop diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and to realize the social and economic benefits of genomics research.

The overarching themes of our research programs are described below. Learn more about faculty and some of their research projects here.

Cancer

The GSC is CAP, DAP and ISO certified, allowing us to perform clinical sequencing to detect cancer susceptibility mutations through capture panels and whole genome sequencing. Cancer research and clinical programs include:

Health

In addition to cancer research, scientist at the GSC are using genomics to tackle tough questions related to human health including:

Disease

The GSC is collaborating on the COVID-19 Host Genome Sequencing project (HostSeq) to develop a national databank containing genome sequences, medical and clinical data from 10,000 individuals affected by COVID19. In the past, scientists at the GSC have also been involved in:

The rapid sequencing of the SARS Coronavirus during the global outbreak in 2003, becoming the first in the world to sequence the virus
Sequencing and genome analysis of the avian flu (H7N3)
Tuberculosis outbreak tracking

Life

The GSC is part of the Canada BioGenome Project, which aims to sequence the genomes of 400 iconic Canadian Species. Species already sequenced through CanSeq150 include:

Support and Funding

The Genome Sciences Centre acknowledges the BC Cancer Foundation for its funding support, as well as these additional partnerships, consortia and organizations for their contributions to infrastructure and operations.