A biobank in Sri Lanka that links East and West

摘要

More than 7·5 million children are born annually with either a severe genetic disorder or a birth defect, and nearly 95% of them live in low-income or middle-income countries.1 The 57th World Health Assembly urged Member States to promote genetic services, with a special emphasis on poor countries. Accordingly, we have established an Interdisciplinary Centre for Innovation in Biotechnology and Neuroscience, which is a molecular diagnostic service and training facility dedicated to genetic testing, research, and training at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, in Nugegoda in Sri Lanka. Our facility was established primarily with donations and grants from the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA) and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, but with minimal government support.