The Broad Institute Genomic Sequencing Center for Infectious Diseases (GSCID) was established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to transform biodefense and infectious disease research by creating resources for DNA sequencing, genotyping and comparative genome analysis. This five-year contract builds on the work of our previous Microbial Sequencing Center (MSC) award. The GSCID offers high-throughput genomic technologies suitable for sequencing many hundreds of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as well as parasites and insect vectors of disease. Sequencing projects typically take advantage of comparative approaches to analyzing the sequence of key pathogenic organisms and closely related species. For example, by sequencing and comparing many strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, scientists will try to identify genes and evolutionary processes involved in pathogenicity, transmission and drug resistance.

The GSCID, led by Bruce Birren, provides the opportunity for researchers with knowledge about specific microbes to collaborate with GSCID scientists with expertise in state-of-the-art methods for sequencing, genotyping and genome analysis to address questions in infectious disease. All data, as well as new analytical tools, are shared publicly to advance research in infectious diseases.

The Broad’s GSCID is one of three such centers. The others are at the J. Craig Venter Institute and the Institute of Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Members of the community can nominate projects to be carried out at these centers by submitting white papers describing the goals and benefits to the community.

Please contact us with any questions.