The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), in partnership with the University of North Texas Health Science Center, is bringing massive genome sequencing capabilities to North Texas through the launch of the North Texas Genome Center (NTGC) housed on the UTA campus. With five NovaSeq6000 gene sequencing systems from Illumina, the NTGC will support healthcare delivery in Texas and the surrounding six-state region, in addition to providing facilities intended to spur growth in the region’s rapidly expanding biotech sector. As one of only a few centers in the central U.S. featuring the NovaSeq6000, NTGC will serve as a hub for advancing collaborative medical research in the region focused on drug development, disease prevention, cancer treatments, and genetics. Working through UTA, the NTGC will also partner with hospitals and medical systems throughout the region to support the needs of clinicians for whole genome, whole exome, and other patient genomic data. The NTGC plans to make these services more accessible by offering lower costs and faster service for human whole genome sequencing compared to other genomic labs.

“The new North Texas Genome Center aligns with UTA’s strategic focus on both health and the human condition and data-driven discovery and will lead to future programs and partnerships in genomics, computational sciences, and genetic counseling,” said Vistasp Karbhari, UTA president. “The Center will also catalyze the university’s emergence as a leader in precision health and the transformation of the region into a high-tech science hub.”