UK to become 'world leaders' in DNA research via £300m project

Prime Minister David Cameron hails the £300m project designed to unlock the power of DNA.

16:23 01 August 2014

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a landmark project designed to revolutionise medicine and to unlock the power of DNA. Under the £300m initiative, UK scientists will map 100,000 complete DNA code sequences to "see the UK lead the world in genetic research within years".

Mr Cameron said: "I am determined to do all I can to support the health and scientific sector to unlock the power of DNA, turning an important scientific breakthrough into something that will help deliver better tests, better drugs and above all better care for patients.

"As our plan becomes a reality, I believe we will be able to transform how devastating diseases are diagnosed and treated in the NHS and across the world, while supporting our best scientists and life science businesses to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology."

Meanwhie, Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar said genome sequencing could transform medicine.

"Twenty years from now academics and industry will have developed therapies which will be targeted at you and specific forms of cancer," he said.

"We will look back in 20 years' time and the blockbuster chemotherapy drugs that gave you all those nasty side effects will be a thing of the past."