Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute Launches New Research Facility
Today, Governor Charlie Baker came to Gloucester for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the expansion of Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Inc. and their new the 6,000 square-foot world-class genomics research facility located on Gloucester’s inner harbor. Officials from GMGI, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Thekena, Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante and I welcomed the Governor, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President & CEO Travis McCready and others for this historic event.
The construction of the research building was made possible in part by a $2.7 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and other funds that I helped secure in legislation including funds to secure state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and workforce training opportunities to train new generations of biotechnology technicians, $150,000 in the new state budget for a new marine program to be run by the Gloucester Marine
Genomics Institute in coordination with the University of Massachusetts and the
Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries, and $1.3 million in the economic
development bill for
a GMGI and Ocean Genome
Legacy/Northeastern Marine Science Center joint proposal to mine the rich
genetic diversity of marine organisms through new sequencing technologies.
The research performed at GMGI is not only important for what it will teach us about our precious marine resources, it will also be critical to informing sound strategic decisions about managing the fish stocks that support our commercial fishing industry, our economy, and our way of life.
Governor Baker said, “Our Administration is committed to investing in the innovation economy, supporting game-changing technological research, and creating jobs in every region of the Commonwealth. It is our collective hope that this new facility will position GMGI as a leader in marine biotechnology by applying the most innovative tools for new discoveries that impact human health, biotechnology, and fisheries.”
The two-story facility will feature research laboratories, outfitted with the specialized equipment needed to bring genomics science to the study of marine life, including a tank room housing 18 unique aquaria and a molecular genomics lab where all of the bench work for molecular biology and genomic applications will take place utilizing a liquid handling robot and multiple platforms for high-throughput genomics and genotyping.
