UNC Puts Its Money on Genomics Research

Thanks to $245 million in public and private funding and a dedicated research team headed by Dr. Terry Magnuson, UNC is at the forefront of what promises to be a revolution in the field of genomics.

Chancellor James Moeser announced the University's commitment to genomics research in February 2001, hoping to make UNC a leading figure in genomics -- a budding field that could change the face of modern medicine.

And Magnuson said the time is ripe for a surge in genomic discoveries. "What we're working on is the post-genome era, figuring out what genes do, to determine their function," he said. "We want to figure out how multiple genes interact; genes don't work in a vacuum, they work together."

Genomic science combines elements of genetics -- the study of heredity -- with the relatively new area of genomics, or DNA sequencing. In addition to solving the puzzle of human genetic identity, scientists think genomics research could affect the health care industry and significantly contribute to the fight against cancer.

And UNC researchers think they're on their way to finding answers.

Magnuson was hired as a professor and chairman of genetics in July 2000 to head the new genomic science studies at UNC. He brought his 15-person staff from Case Western Reserve University and has since hired seven more researchers.

Dr. William Marzluff, executive associate dean of research, said UNC is one of the national leaders in the development of mouse models of human disease. "There is no question that UNC is recognized nationwide as a place that has not only committed resources to genomics but has actually followed through and already established a program," Marzluff said.

Magnuson said that only recently has the field moved from mapping bacteria genomes to more complex organisms such as mice. "The challenge of the genome era is getting the entire DNA sequence of an organism," he said. "At the beginning of 2000, we had mapped only the worm (in addition to about 60 bacteria). By the end of 2000 we had done the fruit fly, (the plant) arabidopsis and the human -- and the mouse, rat, zebrafish and pufferfish will be following soon."

Marzluff stressed the role of UNC's genomics research in other areas, such as cancer-related studies. "We have strong programs in yeast and Drosophila (fruit fly) that have been useful in finding genes that are important in cancer."

Marzluff went on to say that researchers in genetics are working in collaboration with cancer researchers. "The two newest people we've hired (for genetics) both work with cancer."

The new hirees are Dr. Charles Perou, who specializes in breast cancer, and Dr. David Threadgill, whose area of expertise is cancer genetics. Both researchers have labs in the Lineberger Cancer Research Center.

Magnuson said the department's genetics research will have a significant effect on the medical community. "We will be able to start predicting what diseases you are susceptible to, which will have a major impact on the health care industry."

Jesse Mager, a third-year graduate student from New York, works with two other graduate students in one of Magnuson's labs. He agreed that genomic research will have a significant impact on future health care. "It's a basic understanding of how we work -- how humans are put together on a molecular level," he said. "(It) can certainly lead to future questions -- addressing problems that occur within a population and trying to determine causes and treatments."

Mager said his own research work centers on human development. "I'm looking at one gene we've identified to be involved with the way mammals (such as mice) develop," he said. "In the absence of this gene, what goes wrong, and what can I learn about other genes from that?"

He said genetic research with mice can be applied to humans because both fetuses develop in a similar manner.

Funding for UNC's genetic research was initiated in June 2000 by a $2.6 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a privately funded philanthropic organization. The recently announced funds consist of private donations -- most notably a $25 million anonymous gift -- and public funding such as money from the $3.1 billion higher education bond passed in November.

Magnuson's research, and that of the department, will soon be aided with a new facility partially funded by the Howard Hughes grant. The Human Biomolecular Building, on which construction started last December, will be located on South Columbia Road next to the Neuroscience Building. Construction is slated to be finished by January 2003.

Marzluff praises the progress of such an ambitious project at a relatively early date. "Progress has been excellent," he said.

Mager echoed Marzluff's sentiments, emphasizing the future consequences of UNC's genetic research. "With the gene being sequenced, we have tools that we never had before," he said. "It's a profound difference in how we approach our work."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.