GENOMICS CORE Summary: The thematic research focus of the KBRIN program is “functional genomics”. This field of study is relevant to all aspects of life, health, and behavior of humans based on their genetic make-up and interactions with their individual environment. The study of genes, their gene products, and their mutual interactions has become crucial for the development of therapies to combat human diseases, to understand the etiology of such diseases, and to narrow in on personalized individual treatment options based on genetic and genomic information of the patient. Thus, functional genomics technologies like those implemented in the UofL Genomics Core will be increasingly essential for the health care of current and future populations. Innovative technologies like whole genome DNA and transcriptome RNA sequencing and massively parallel gene expression profiling have become technically and economically feasible. However, the infrastructure is best placed in centralized facilities because it is cost-prohibitive for individual research laboratories. Thus, the instrumental and intellectual research infrastructure provided by the Core represents a critical component for the future overall strategic purpose for biomedical research community in Kentucky, with the potential for a positive state-wide impact for the development of competitive research. This core, its equipment and its staff will serve the UofL and its research base, and will also serve the investigators in the network-affiliated institutions in the KBRIN.