PH Genome Center Expands to Visayas, Mindanao

For more accurate results of the genomics research in the country, the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) has expanded its reach to Visayas and Mindanao, an official said on Friday.

PGC executive director Cynthia Palmes-Saloma said in the first quarter of 2019, PGC satellite facilities have been put up in Visayas and Mindanao.

“We are equipping the core laboratories there so researchers in Mindanao and the Visayas could do their own DNA and RNA extraction, quality control studies of the samples prior to sending these in Manila for the major sequencing work,” Palmes-Saloma said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The PGC main office also helps the genomics consortium craft their proposals for submission to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

PGC’s bioinformatics group will train 20 bioinformatics undergraduates and graduate students for a six-week intensive training program. It hopes to train 100 bioinformaticians within the year.

The PGC is now equipping its proteomics and metabolomics facility by procuring the equipment this year after getting a grant for the various projects and clients all over the country.

Recent studies show that everyone reacts differently to medicines and therapies. Depending on one’s ethnicity, diet, and even the environment, play a big role in how a person reacts to medication. In the country, most medication is formulated abroad so its formulation is adjusted to meet the needs of the people of its country of origin.

In an earlier interview, DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña announced the genomics and Omic Technologies will aid clinical diagnostics and preventive testing.

“It will help medical institutions and research facilities to identify a new treatment that may be sourced locally. With this, we can lower the price of medicines and develop more effective preventive measures and therapies that better suit the Filipinos,” he added.

In previous years, genomics research budget allocation was not given much priority with PHP31 million in 2014 and PHP29.5 million in 2015.

It has since doubled to PHP60 million in 2016, PHP71 million in 2017, and recently PHP312 million in 2018. (PNA)