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Equipment at the cutting-edge of DNA sequencing has been generously donated to The University of Western Australia.

The $100,000 Ion Torrent and an additional $30,000 in sequencing material has been gifted by businessman and philanthropist Charles Morgan who in December donated $1 million for two brand new SOLiD next generation sequencing devices.  Mr Morgan is also encouraging researchers with the incentive of a $20,000 prize to come up with some world breakthroughs.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Alan Robson welcomed the further investment from Mr Morgan.  "His continuing generosity will help researchers throughout Australia and in Western Australia in particular, to use world-standard equipment in pursuit of new discoveries."

Mr Morgan said: "I am a firm believer that this technology will change the way we manage medicine and provide answers to a variety of health questions that have been asked for decades."

The Ion Torrent is the very latest next-generation sequencer which has the capability to map and sequence DNA quickly and cheaply, which will be invaluable in detailing clear associations between specific genetic variants and disease.

It has been likened to a private airline by UWA's lead genomics researcher Associate Professor Richard Allcock, taking fewer passengers but with the capability to do things that none of the others can do.

"This is a major breakthrough in the "mechanics" of sequencing and allows a number of developments not previously possible including rapid run times, greater accuracy, more flexibility in the size of sequencing runs and a reduction in costs," he said.

It is the first, and currently only, such device that does not rely on optics, fluorescence or light in any form.  Instead, it uses a solid state semi-conductor based chip technology - similar to a computer CPU - containing the world's smallest pH meter as a sensor to determine nucleic acid sequences.

"The acquisition of the Ion Torrent allows us greater flexibility, as well as the ability to offer exactly the right piece of equipment for a particular users' project," Associate Professor Allcock said.

The Ion Torrent will operate out of the Lotterywest State Biomedical Facility: Genomics (LSBFG) at Royal Perth Hospital.

Media references

Associate Professor Richard Allcock (Lead LSBFG Scientist)  (+61 8)  9224 1175
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716