"UK-India Free Trade Agreement helps deepen Genomics Collaboration"

Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a global company with its headquarters in the United Kingdom, has signed Letters of Intent with India's Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), and the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), to develop two new genomic Centres of Excellence Institutes.

- Narayan Kulkarni

Dr Gordon Sanghera, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the UK

Their goal is to support skills development, which will position India as a regional leader in advanced genomics, R&D in rare diseases, newborn screening, oral cancer, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and multi-omics. The company brought its 'What Your Missing Matters' (WYMM) tour to Bangalore in India for the first time, in April, with an intent to further strengthen collaborations with researchers, clinicians, and public health bodies in the region. BioSpectrum Spoke to Dr Gordon Sanghera, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, UK and Tonya McSherry Vice President of Commercial, EMEAI about WYMM, their presence in India and APAC region, UK-India Free Trade Agreement and much more. Edited excerpts;

What is the purpose and goal of organising WYMM for the first time in India?

Tonya McSherry: We are committed to deepening our presence in India, and hosting the first WYMM tour in the country is a key part of this for us. It provided a unique opportunity to bring together our experts and leading local scientists to engage in meaningful discussions on a range of topics, from clinical applications to public health strategy. Some personal highlights included conversations around clinical genetics, pioneering microbiome-based wellness initiatives, implementing full-length sequencing in acute healthcare settings, and strengthening the blueprint for future public health resilience.