Dr. Guillaume Paré is director of the HHS Clinical Research Laboratory and Biobank – Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory. His lab recently became the first and only Canadian lab to earn certification as a next-generation sequencing professional laboratory (NGS ProLab) service provider from American-based Twist Bioscience, a global leader in synthetic biology.
Only lab in Canada to hold this internationally recognized certification
A Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) research lab that studies DNA and genetic information recently became the first and only Canadian lab to earn certification as a next-generation sequencing professional laboratory (NGS ProLab) service provider from American-based Twist Bioscience, a global leader in synthetic biology.
This certification opens the door to early innovation, stronger partnerships, and a leading role in genetic research.
The HHS Clinical Research Laboratory and Biobank – Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory (CRLB-GMEL), is located at the HHS Hamilton General Hospital (HGH) campus. The lab provides services including biobanking, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics. This includes supporting world-leading research at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), and Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute (TaARI) – both joint institutes of HHS and McMaster University, located at the HGH campus.
Certification as a NGS ProLab service provider means the CRLB-GMEL is officially recognized by Twist Bioscience as meeting the highest standards in genetic testing using advanced DNA sequencing technology, says medical biochemist Dr. Guillaume Paré, director of the CRLB-GMEL and senior scientist with the PHRI.
“Certification highlights the quality of work we do, and further establishes our lab’s reputation for being at the forefront of this work,” says Paré.
The CRLB-GMEL team supports research into why some people develop certain diseases and others don’t, by studying the biology behind them. This includes the collection, storage, and studying of biological samples like blood and DNA from people all over the world to help better understand health and disease.
The lab plays a key role in large international health studies by analyzing these samples to look for things like genetic traits, protein markers, or changes in metabolism that could be linked to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Certification gives the CRLB-GMEL early access to the latest DNA sequencing technologies from Twist Bioscience, before they’re widely available, says Paré. This means the lab can stay ahead of the curve by using cutting-edge tools and methods as soon as they’re developed.
NGS ProLab certification recognizes labs that are skilled at using Twist Bioscience’s tools for preparing and analyzing DNA. These tools help scientists study specific parts of the genome more closely. Researchers, worldwide, who partner with an NGS ProLab provider such as the CRLB-GMEL receive the highest quality data and results.
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