Applying genomics to the real world – how to innovate with Earlham Institute
Agri-TechE 
Decoding living systems – through research in genomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, phenotyping, and high-performance computing – the Earlham Institute’s (EI) science embraces innovation with the development of leading-edge technology for the bioscience community.
Applications of its cutting-edge research has the potential to provide solutions to challenges such as ensuring food safety and security; improving human, animal and plant health; and aiding conservation.
Head of Business Development and Impact at EI, Liliya Serazetdinova, said: “We need to listen to the business world on what they need and the challenges they face, and explore how we can help.
“We’re looking to diversify our engagement with Industry, promote the breadth of EI’s expertise including genomics, health and environmental diagnostics, bioinformatics tools for genome assembly and annotation, data mining and data standardisation knowledge.”
EI works with several high-profile academic and private organisations across the agriculture, food and health sectors, as well as charities and other organisations involved in conservation and protection of biodiversity.
Each year, EI’s operating impact contributes £10.3m gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy and the overall potential impact of EI’s business development on the UK economy is estimated at £235m over the next 25 years, according to its 2018 socio-economic impact assessment.
For example, current EI Industry projects such as using machine learning for image analysis to help increase yield in vegetable crops; assembling complex genomes of economically important crops such as strawberry and wheat; and bioinformatics analysis for portable sequencing to aid rapid detection of foodborne diseases and monitoring gut health.*
Offering talks, networking and discussion groups, EI is hosting an event (13 November) that will help Industry fully understand the opportunities for collaboration with EI – how engaging with the Institute’s science, genomics and synthetic biology platforms, automation and bioinformatics expertise can be of benefit to their organisations.
The event also offers tours of the EI’s BIO Foundry and Genomics Pipelines facilities. The state-of-the-art BIO Foundry provides automation to a number of workflows including high-throughput nanoscale DNA assembly, while our Genomics Pipelines offer access to the latest high-throughput sequencing platforms and expertise in developing the best analytical approach to answer specific biological questions.
EI’s Head of Business Development and Impact, Liliya Serazetdinova, continues:: “EI Innovate aims to attract and engage potential collaborators, stakeholders and clients to make them aware of our capabilities and facilitate joint projects.
“We would also like to provide wider access to our BIO Foundry (automation) for a range of projects involving nanoscale DNA assembly, screening of recombinant DNA and microfermentation, as well as share our expertise in advanced genomics, single-cell analysis and bioinformatics with the wider community.”
For more information about the upcoming event, on 13 November at the EI (NR4 7UZ), please visit the ‘EI Innovate: genomics data to advance bioscience’ webpage.
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