San Diego means many things to many people - but for me, and for Foundation Medicine, it means the birthplace of DNA sequencing.
The grand opening of Foundation Medicine’s state-of-the art lab facility in San Diego is the result of our concerted efforts to establish and grow our presence in centers of research. It was in 1977 that Fredrick Sanger developed the technology of DNA sequencing, and in the last few decades, San Diego’s research institutes, universities, and biotechnology companies have stimulated scientific discovery in this area of technology, particularly in the discipline of next generation DNA sequencing and data analysis.
San Diego will be another strong hub for Foundation Medicine’s research and development to build novel capabilities and applications to expand our impact in diagnostics for cancer patients. This hub will focus on early research, enable increased capacity for Foundation Medicine’s FDA-approved liquid biopsy test, FoundationOne®Liquid CDx, and allow us to engage in more research-focused collaborations with leading universities, renowned medical institutions, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
We see this lab facility as a critical piece of our longer-term research and development strategy and future impact on cancer care. We will have lab space dedicated to research and development in low-pass whole genome sequencing, exploring novel sequencing technologies, and expanding to DNA methylation analysis, a technology that Foundation Medicine acquired through its 2020 acquisition of San Diego-based Lexent Bio.
Further, we’re excited to expand our San Diego-based team, bringing scientists on board who are eager to help Foundation Medicine advance precision medicine. This facility will offer a unique environment where talent can thrive and work on cutting edge cancer research. We have already established ourselves as a “Best Place to Work” in San Diego and aim to maintain this status for years to come.
San Diego is a perfect place to establish Foundation Medicine’s own “hub” for innovation; our molecular testing center of excellence. I can’t wait to see how we continue to grow our capabilities and make deeper impacts on the lives of the patients we serve.