Equipment is humming, lab technicians are hard at work and cutting-edge research is underway at OICR’s new research facilities.

After months of preparation, the first of OICR’s state-of-the-art labs began operations in September, launching the first phase of on-site research for OICR. Two labs, which will be dedicated entirely to genomic research, fill approximately 10,000 square feet of research space and house some of the most advanced genomic technologies in the world.

“We are all very excited about the new technologies these labs will provide and can’t wait to produce some novel and useful data,” says Dr. Kamran Shazand, the Scientific Manager at OICR who has overseen the labs’ development. “This will provide us with an important new angle to cancer research.”

The main focus of the labs will be to use genomic platforms such as sequencing and genome-wide scans to identify genes that are involved in the development of different types of cancer. Researchers will then use these markers to develop diagnostic procedures and treatment of tumours in the future.

“The human genome has been sequenced – that was the reference point,” says Shazand. “Now it is time to do the same thing for cancer.”

Dr. John McPherson, OICR’s Cancer Genomics Director and Senior Principal Investigator, arrived recently at OICR from Baylor College of Medicine to lead the genomics platform.

“The goal here at OICR is to understand cancer to better diagnose and treat it,” McPherson says. “The genomics research conducted in these labs will provide targets for research being done at OICR. We can, for example, find proteins that the imaging group can then know to tag. We will also provide genomic analysis support for research being done in other parts of OICR.”

Before any of this happens OICR’s research team will need to test the new platforms and learn how to use them, since the machines being used are next-generation technology and can currently only be found in a handful of research labs around the world.

“This is truly a new era of genomic sequencing,” says McPherson. “Our biggest challenges over the next few months will be assessing and implementing these new technologies. We can use our past experience to guide us, but this is all very new. It will be a steep learning curve.”

There will be two sequencing platforms in the labs. One platform is currently up and running. It can sequence one billion bases (known as a gigabase) of DNA in three to four days. A gigabase is about one-third of the human genome, which means that a full genome can be sequenced in a few months. Additional platforms are being evaluated and a second one will be in operation by mid-October.

While sequencing an entire genome is still quite expensive , the costs associated with genomic research have been steadily dropping over the past few years and there have been huge developments in the power and accuracy of sequencing technology. Because of this OICR’s scientists will be doing research at levels not possible even a few years ago.

“We’ll definitely be measuring the limits of the platforms and how to use the technology in those extreme conditions,” says Shazand. “Our first challenge will be to increase the platform’s sensitivity in order to work on cancer stem cells.”

Since cancer stem cells represent only one per cent or less of each tumour, the platforms need to be adapted to detect such tiny amounts of DNA. Shazand estimates that adapting protocols and learning the processes will take up a large portion of the team’s first six months. Once the machines are fully calibrated and research is at full capacity, he anticipates OICR will have an entire team working in this area.

The research will focus on turning laboratory discoveries into detection tools and treatments for patients as quickly as possible. “If we can find key proteins or genes that are involved in the development of cancer, this will give us targets for diagnosis and treatment,” says McPherson. “And if we can impact those, we can impact patient care.”

The labs are located in the MaRS Centre in downtown Toronto. OICR plans to more than double its research space over the next year, adding labs for bioinformatics and biostatistics, cancer biology and medicinal chemistry.