MEB Lab (UFLA) and IRR (FIOCRUZ) have signed a scientific cooperation agreement

MEB Lab. (UFLA) and the René Rachou Institute (IRR - FIOCRUZ MINAS), with the support of the ThermoFisher company, have just signed a scientific cooperation agreement to create the "Multiuser nucleus of DNA sequencing and Bioinformatics UFLA - FIOCRUZ". This agreement was set up between the Dr. Victor Pylro (Head of the MEB Lab.) and Dr. Rubens do Monte (Coordinator of the IRR NGS platform). The IRR will provide the MEB Lab. with a complete solution for the development of advanced scientific projects in the area of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and its applications. This agreement includes the loan of high-cost equipment, such as a PGM Ion Torrent NGS platform (the first NGS platform available at UFLA), an AB Library Builder System (for automating the most labor-intensive parts of NGS library preparation), an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer Instrument (for highly precise automated electrophoresis and analytical evaluation of various biomolecules), and an ultrasonicator Covaris for DNA fragmentation. Thus, we increased the portfolio of UFLA's services, with support for data collection and treatment. Due to the current budgetary limitation for the Brazilian science, this kind of cooperation becomes a fundamental resource for the creation of a fast and efficient strategy for the scientific and technological development in our country, optimizing the resources distribution and, consequently, expanding opportunities.