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Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Prominent Perth businessman and philanthropist Charles Morgan's drive for new markets and new technology has infected the world of genome research in Western Australia to the point where, thanks to his almost one million-dollar donation, it can now boast one of only two open access facilities in Australia.

"It's at the forefront of future technology and will in time change the way we as a race manage our health and the health of living things around us. The decision to donate this money to the University also grew out of a number of conversations with some of Western Australia's top researchers."

Having brought WA into the genomic age with two brand new SOLiD next generation sequencing devices he is now pushing researchers with the incentive of a $20,000 prize to come up with some world breakthroughs.

"I have offered this prize to encourage researchers to think beyond their current research and consider how they might be able to use the equipment. I am hopeful that this incentive will spur on some of our great thinkers."

Charles Morgan has extensive experience in equity capital markets and has been involved with numerous projects over the last 20 years most of which were in the resources/oil & gas industries. He explains his initial leap into the world of genetics as a matter of survival.

"My interest in this area of genetics was sparked by commercial need over 10 years ago! The oil price was at $10 a barrel and everything I had was worth nothing! I had noticed that there was a lot of interesting work going on in the area of genetics. This obviously included the human genome project.

"My introduction to genetics was with CSIRO on a viral vector project. The area has progressed extremely rapidly since then to the point we are today."

Recently the now Chair of WA's Technology and Industry Council has taken more of a personal interest in understanding his own genetic information.

A couple of years ago he subscribed to 23andMe, a privately held personal genomics and biotechnology company that claims to be developing new methods and technologies that will enable consumers to understand their own genetic information. But his regular updates on the probability of being susceptible to various diseases and characteristics haven't always been reliable.

"Having received the update that rated me less than averagely susceptible to prostate cancer I was able to email them to tell them that that was very interesting but I have already had it!"

He hopes that in most cases the work that will be generated from the new equipment at the Lotterywest State Biomedical Facility: Genomics at Royal Perth Hospital will provide another piece of the jigsaw in the answer to the questions that are being asked.

"I am of the firm belief that in the not too distant future Genome sequencing will become part of an individual's health tool kit - A valuable tool that in combination with our existing health tool box will see personalised proactive medicine."

This equipment will be made available to researchers working at any university or other research organisation as well as staff at the WA Department of Health.

It is anticipated the sequencers will be used for medical research and diagnosis along with animal health and agriculture research.

Published in UWA News

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