Applied Genomics Institute (IGA)

The Istituto di Genomica Applicata (IGA) is a international centre of research in genetics and genomics of living organisms of the Scientific and Technological Park 'Luigi Danieli' of Udine. Born as spin-off of the University of Udine, it is a non-profit association established in 2006 by a team of researchers of the Udine University with different abilities in genomics, bioinformatics and molecular breeding.
IGA is indebted for the support received in setting up the operating structure and the first research projects with:

• Friuli Innovazione Consortium

• University of Udine

• Friuli Venezia Giulia Government 

• Federazione delle Banche di Credito Cooperativo

• the CRUP Bank Foundation of Udine

• the Carigo Bank Foundation of Gorizia

• the CRT Bank Foundation of Trieste
• the Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo (PN), the world leading grapevine nursery

• Eurotech Ltd of Amaro (UD), a leader in the field of Embedded Computer Technology
• local grapevine Industries and Wineries

Field of activity
The research activity of IGA is strongly oriented to:

• analyse structural and functional features of genomes
• study evolutionary dynamics of genomes and population genetics

• link genetic diversity with phenotypic variation 

• discover the molecular basis of complex traits

• describe, simulate and predict biological processes through algorithms and bioinformatics tools

• characterise, protect and exploit natural resources relevant to agriculture, food and non-food industry
• promote innovation by transferring the results of research to the industry

• disseminate the scientific culture

Lab facilities
The IGA boasts a new 400 square meters labs and have two core facilities:

• a DNA sequencing core, with 4 high-through ABI 3730XL automatic sequencers and a capability of about 5 million bases per day

• a centre of computational biology, with parallel computing facilities and 4 terabytes data storage devices. The centre has expertise in developing proprietary LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems), DBMS (DataBase Management Systems), tools for the structural analysis of DNA sequences and the functional annotation of genes and other relevant DNA motifs.

Grape genome sequencing initiative
VIGNE/VIGNA is French/Italian project aiming to sequence the grape genome (approx. 480 Million bases) and to exploit the information derived from the DNA decoding in the fields of grape physiology, biochemistry, genetics, and breeding.
In the frame of VIGNA, IGA was one of the three partners which sequenced, starting from April 2006 to July 2007, grape genome jointly to the CRIBI at the University of Padua and Genoscope in Paris. The first draft of the sequence has been published on Nature in August 2007.

Grapevine genotyping platform
IGA is involved in a project aims to set up a genotyping platform to enabling the unequivocal identification of most clones of any grape variety with an analysis acceptable as a forensic proof.

Breeding grapevine for disease resistance
IGA is cooperating with the University of Udine in a long term breeding program aiming to study the genetic determinants of resistance to mildew diseases in grape and to produce new grapevine cultivars resistant to downy and powdery mildew.

Other research projects
In the first 2 years since its formal creation IGA has been quite successful in attracting additional external funding through its participation in different calls for proposals. Beside research projects regarding grape, IGA will be then involved in the next years in projects on genomics of other plants (i.e. poplar, coffee, wheat).
External services
While IGA is not a service laboratory but a research institute, it does accept to carry out sequencing and genotyping services for the local research community, for collaborators and for large projects that we may be requested to carry out.