Genomics Institute – Focusing the power of genomics — collaboratively, openly and ethically — for the benefit of both the individual and the planet.

Interdisciplinary
Research

We are a diverse and multidisciplinary research institute that fosters collaboration between engineering, physical sciences, biological sciences, and social sciences, with the goal of driving impactful change.

Beth Shaprio and Ben Lamm from Colossal Biosciences stand in front of a large replica of a dodo bird.

Collaboration

We have members and collaborators throughout academia and industry. We work with clinicians, marine and fishery researchers, conservationists, public health officials, and others to bring genomics data, tools, and biotech to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Two undergraduates standing with their graduate mentor and smiling.

Mentorship

Training the next generation of scientists is a vital part of what we do. Learn about our educational programs and our efforts to bring experiential learning to students from secondary to graduate school.

Impact Highlight

Working to improve clarity for patients assessing their genetic breast cancer risk

“I would say there are 2,500 variants conservatively that we hope to be able to curate right off the bat based on these assessments,” Cline said. “For women who carry these variants, that means not carrying the uncertainty.”

Seed grant funds eDNA research that could mitigate climate change

May 24, 2024

Affiliate Ed Green has received an Innovation Catalyst Grant for his work on a simple and cost-effective way to gather environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Metabarcoding is a way of analyzing species abundance in an ecosystem by surveying DNA sequences in environmental samples like soil or water.
New study discovers tiny target on RNA to short-circuit inflammation

May 24, 2024

UC Santa Cruz researchers have discovered a peptide in human RNA that regulates inflammation and may provide a new path for treating diseases such as arthritis and lupus. The team used a screening process based on the powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR to shed light on one of the biggest mysteries about our RNA–the molecule responsible…
Stem cell study reveals distinct population of ‘troublemaker’ platelet cells that appear with aging and lead to blood clotting, disease

May 14, 2024

Targeting this population of platelets could help better treat blood clotting-related diseases Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Camilla Forsberg and her former Ph.D. student Donna Poscablo in their lab at the UC Santa Cruz Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells.