On 1 February 2011, a consortium of leading European research institutes begun developing a European infrastructure for genome sequencing and genotyping. Led by the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics in Germany and funded by the European Commission, the European Sequencing and Genotyping Infrastructure (ESGI) brings together partners from Austria, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

ESGI aims to solidify Europe’s position as a world leader in genetics, genomics and systems biology research. The ESGI pools the efforts of leading European genomics and bioinformatics facilities to ensure that a larger scientific community can access new genomic technologies in an ethical way and use the latest analytic tools. The aim of ESGI is to enable scientists across all disciplines to use emerging technologies to decipher the complex functions of genes, without breaking the bank. For example, ESGI expects that it will become possible for scientists to sequence a mammalian genome for around EUR 1000.

ESGI partners are focusing their efforts on integrating and standardising current and emerging technologies, and are providing access to infrastructures so that a broad group of European researchers can use the new technologies. ESGI will provide accessible support and guidelines so that users can interpret the data efficiently. Substantial efforts will also go into developing platforms for storing and distributing genetic and genomic data. In addition, cooperation with biobanks and a large number of major biomedical research projects will enhance ESGI – ensuring that ethical and social questions are addressed and preventing duplication of effort.

The four-year project combines the efforts of: Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics (Germany); Christian-Albrechts University Kiel (Germany); the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (UK), the European Bioinformatics Institute (UK), CEA-IG/Centre National de Génotypage (France); INSERM, Toulouse (France); PCB/Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (Spain); CEB/Centre de Regulació Genòmica (Spain); Uppsala University (Sweden); and the Medical University of Graz (Austria). The project is managed by GABO:milliarium.

More information

ESGI website