School gets GS equipment to boost genetic research
University of Santo Tomas received two genetic sequencing equipment from Genomic Institute of Asia (GINA) which will be used for research and training of faculty and students.
In the Philippines, there is a significant lack of opportunities for aspiring geneticists locally due to the limited availability of these high technology equipment and lack of facilities for hands on training and research, which results to students looking for opportunities to study overseas.
Tom Navasero, founder of GINA and the president and chairman of local healthcare pioneer Philab Holdings Corp., established GINA with the vision for the Philippines to be regarded as a “hub for genetic sequencing.” He believes that it is important to extend help to educational institutions in order to achieve this vision.
“Through education, we can hone the raw talent and the vast potential of our students who will fill in the gaps of our need for worldclass geneticists, counselors, specialists in this country,” said Navasero.
Recognized as a premier school in medicine with excellent programs in the field of science, UST welcomes the generous and timely donation as its College of Science Dept. is planning to open new tracks under its Biology course.
“Having this in our institution will give our researchers the opportunity to increase their knowledge and level of competence.” said Prof. John Donnie Ramos, the College of Sciences dean of UST.
The equipment is set to cut down time and costs to complete a study, which is advantageous since the department has a lot of genomic projects in the pipeline.
Navasero hopes that he can continue to provide more state of the art equipment to the university in the future, that will help boost the program’s teaching capacity and significantly open world-class opportunities for the university students.
”The major backbone of progress is research, and as it continues to evolve, facilities to support this educational pursuit should continuously be modernized,” said Navasero.