New DNA screening centre set for Dubai

DNA SCREENING: New centre to be set up in Dubai. (Getty Images)

Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech) has confirmed that the UAE Genetics Diseases Association (UAEGDA) will establish research facilities at The Nucleotide Lab Complex in DuBiotech Park.

The new UAEGDA centre will be used to map the DNA of the population and help screen manageable genetic diseases while improving healthcare in the future.

Set-up in collaboration with Professor Yukio Hattori and his team from Yamaguchi University of Japan, it will serve as a reference DNA laboratory providing confirmatory tests of ongoing national projects.

In addition, the new facilities will provide research opportunities for Emirati students through PhD programmes and training platforms for students of Health Sciences from Zayed University and Higher Colleges of Technology.

Marwan Abdulaziz, Director of DuBiotech Park, said: "For DuBiotech, this is a vital step in developing and expanding services that will eventually support a range of collaborations between genetic service providers and those in related sciences.''

UAEGDA was established with the main aim to control and prevent population-specific genetic disorders prevalent in the UAE.

The first project of the UAEGDA (Emirates free of Thalassemia by the year 2012 Project) is aimed at identifying the carriers of common inherited blood disorders including those with Sickle cell and Beta-Thalassemia with an aim to prevent new births of children with Thalassemia disease by the year 2012.

H.E. Dr. Maryam Matar, the Executive Director of UAEGDA, said: "DuBiotech provides an ideal location for UAEGDA to establish its operations. The services offered by the region's leading life sciences park will significantly augment our research capabilities, contributing to achieving our objectives of minimising hereditary medical conditions."

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