Genomics CoFa
Erasmus MC Genomics Core Facility
Drawing on decades of expertise, the Erasmus MC Genomics Core Facility (Genomics CoFa) offers comprehensive genomics services and innovation projects for researchers and clinicians worldwide. As one of Europe’s largest high-throughput facilities, the Genomics CoFa supports over 400 clients per year. It operates from a 500 m² laboratory in Rotterdam, with approximately 26 employees (including technicians, bioinformaticians, and management/support staff), and houses over €10 million worth of advanced equipment. This includes platforms for liquid handling, DNA isolation, next-generation sequencing and array technologies. With high-throughput protocols, the Genomics CoFa processes over 150,000 samples yearly and offers innovation expertise for small-scale projects.
Infrastructure and User Services
The Erasmus MC Genomics Core Facility (Genomics CoFa) has its origin in 2002 and bundles decades of experience in the field of genomics with long-standing involvement in genomics research through large collaborative networks. It is headed by professor dr. Joyce van Meurs and offers comprehensive genomics services and innovation projects for researchers and clinicians worldwide.
Services cover various aspects of sample handling, a broad range of genomics technologies, and bioinformatics support. These include DNA/RNA isolation, biobanking, and next-generation sequencing for (large) populations, single cells, and microbiomes, as well as array-based DNA methylation and genetic variation analysis. In addition, proteomics analyses are offered using the Olink platform. Bioinformatics services include data QC, variant calling, PGx and PRS profiling, and complete GWAS.
While primarily focused on research, the Genomics CoFa also offers diagnostic services in collaboration with clinical diagnostic departments. These include array genotyping, CNV analysis, DNA methylation profiling, and NGS. With high-throughput protocols, the Genomics CoFa processes over 150.000 samples yearly and offers innovation expertise for small-scale projects.
As one of Europe’s largest high-throughput facilities, the Genomics CoFa supports over 400 clients per year. It operates from a 500 m² laboratory in Rotterdam, with approximately 26 employees, and houses over €10 million worth of advanced equipment. This includes over 60 machines for liquid handling, next generation sequencing, and a world renowned high-throughput array facility.
The Erasmus MC Genomics Core Facility is internationally recognized for its innovations and contributions to scientific research.
Examples/description of the type of research
The Erasmus MC Genomics Core Facility (Genomics CoFa) uniquely offers support for experimental design, data analysis, and access to collaborative research networks. It has been an internationally recognized leader in genomics innovation and population genomics research. Over 1,000 scientific papers have been published using data generated at the Genomics CoFa, including in top-tier journals such as Nature, Science, Cell, NEJM, and The Lancet. Research spans fundamental, cell biology-based studies to large-scale population Genomics research investigating a wide range of diseases and phenotypes.
How to access the infrastructure?
Because of our international client/user base many contact are virtual (Teams/zoom, etc.) for both intake conversations, sending contracts, sending results, etc. We also receive clients physically bringing samples (both internal as well as external clients), or doing intake conversations and/or discussions on results. The same holds for our bio-informatic support services with clients/users, and who also download their data from data-access points on servers we control.