THE Visayas Genomic Lab is soon to open here in Panay. It will be located in the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas – Miagao campus where it will act as a nexus for researchers all over the Visayas.
This lab is one of the three genomic labs constructed in the country, where the other two will be based in Davao and UP Diliman. This will also serve as the central lab in the Visayas.
According to Department of Science and Technology regional director Rowen Gelonga, the new center will be ready sometime in April, and he expects the opening ceremony will take place there as well.
Genomic labs are instrumental in researching new technologies, which could be used for a wide variety of applications, including the pharmaceutical industry, medicine, agribusiness and various others. So far, stakeholders of the Visayas Genomic Lab are still gathering equipment.
“So ongoing na ang acquisition sang equipment,” Gelonga said. “It’s a collaboration. Some of it will be provided by UP Visayas, while others will be provided by us (DOST). Ang UP Visayas ang ma-provide sang building; ang research center didto ang ma-locate ang genome center.”
Once the facility is ready, however, it will serve not only as a research building but also as a medical research center.
“It can also serve the needs of some of our hospitals kag indi lang Western Visayas ang i-serve. The whole Visayas region. We hope to set up a network of research institutions that will hopefully be supported by the genome center,” Gelonga said, adding that he is optimistic about the genome lab’s future./PN
