Our Partners
RESEARCH PARTNERS
At the heart of the LGRC’s scientific mission is a simple question: What are the genomic changes that occur in lung disease? To find the answer, we are relying on tissue samples from patients suffering from such lung diseases as ILD and COPD. Our research partner, the Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC), collects this and other invaluable medical data from large numbers of patients who have generously donated them.
Our partners, Fernando Martinez of the University of Michigan and Andrew Limper of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, are physician-scientists who specialize in lung disease and are helping us precisely define the physical characteristics, or phenotypes, of COPD and ILD so that we can appropriately classify the patient samples we analyze.
Our work would also not be possible without funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. NHLBI program officers and their administration have been instrumental in both supporting the collecting of comprehensive genomic data on lung diseases and helping us define and refine our scientific mission.
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
LGRC researchers are using advanced technologies to create a state-of-the-art genetic and molecular library, or "information warehouse," that scientists everywhere can access and use to characterize and redefine chronic lung disease.
The companies responsible for these technologies include Agilent, Applied Biosystems, Illumina, Nimblegen (Roche), and WaferGen. All are leaders in the ongoing quest to develop better and speedier methods for the consortium’s major research components, including microarray analysis (tracking gene expression differences by scanning whole portions of the genome at one time) and next-generation DNA sequencing.
The LGRC has is also partnering with IDBS and Oracle—giants in the business of intelligent software development—to efficiently manage the consortium's anticipated deluge of data. In other words, Illumina and Wafergen will provide the tools that enable LGRC researchers to collect a great deal of information on lung disease, and Oracle and IDBS will furnish ways to sensibly organize this information, thereby making it readily accessible.
With a project as complex as this one, managing the flow of biological samples and data generated by LGRC members is a logistical challenge. BioTeam, a life-science informatics company, is helping us develop a sophisticated tracking system to manage the process.
Finally, part of the LGRC’s mission is to also explain the work we do to the public we serve. Acsys Interactive has been our partner in building an accessible and informative website for anyone interested in learning about the consortium's efforts.
