Australia invests $15M to establish cancer genomics lab

The Australian government is investing $15 million to help establish an innovative cancer genomics laboratory in South Australia, which aims to improve treatment options for Australians with cancer. The new laboratory will be established in SA Pathology, an organisation providing diagnostic and clinical pathology services throughout South Australia for the public health sector. It will strengthen South Australia’s capacity in genomic diagnostic testing, which is key to finding new pathways for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. The government has invested more than $150 million across 40 research projects as part of the Medical Research Future Fund’s $500 million Genomics Health Futures Mission. In addition, the government has also invested $50 million for Omico, a nationwide network of cancer research and treatment centres to develop genomic testing, which will improve medical care for Australians with cancer.