A mutualised structure at the service of the scientific community

The challenges

Life sciences have benefited greatly over the past 20 years from the spectacular development of genome sequencing technologies, which make data acquisition faster, easier and at much lower costs. This is reflected today in discoveries and progress beyond our ability few years ago, in all disciplines (biology, medicine, agronomy, biodiversity and the environment).

In the light of this evolution, it is essential for French research to remain independent and to retain ownership of its results. To achieve, this, French research must continue to be competitive and efficient in a highly competitive international context.

The infrastructure

Set up thanks to “Investissements d’Avenir” funding in the framework of the “Infrastructures nationales en biologie et santé” project, FRANCE GENOMIQUE is an infrastructure that emerge from the prime objective to strengthen and place at the forefront at the highest level of competitiveness and performance the French capacities in the field of high throughput genomics and associated bioinformatics, in terms of equipment, expertise and innovation.

Integrated governance

FRANCE GENOMIQUE is a UMS (Unité Mixte de Service: CNRS 3628-INRA 1396- Inserm 026) which brings together the four main French public research organisations: CEA, CNRS, INRA and INSERM. Its governance is ISO9001-2015 certified since January 2019.

The FRANCE GENOMIQUE infrastructure involves the majority of French sequencing and bioinformatics platforms in a consortium coordinated by the CEA. It thereby integrates at the national level complementary and renowned competence in genomic analysis (sequencing/genotyping and bioinformatics analyses) to attract national (public or industrial research) and international projects.

At the forefront of innovation

In addition, its coordinated programs in technology watch and technology development of new sequencing and bioinformatics methodologies and technologies enable FRANCE GENOMIQUE to provide the scientific community with access to the newest state-of-the-art expertise and capacities for high throughput sequencing and data processing. Thus FRANCE GENOMIQUE operates both as a developer of innovative approaches and as a collaborator/service provider for projects in the scientific community.

Missions of support and expertise in the service of ambitious projects

FRANCE GENOMIQUE’s mission is to offer the public and private scientific community with access to the best French platforms, consultation and support for their projects, a pool of expertise of the highest caliber as well as the opportunity to participate in ambitious projects at national and international level.

The FRANCE GENOMIQUE infrastructure provides the French public or private scientific community with:

  • leading expertise in genomics and associated bioinformatics, essential to stay in phase with the very rapid evolution of technologies
  • competitive services in genomics and bioinformatics: the proximity between users and an "expert" infrastructure ensures that the scientific exploitation of the data produced will be optimal
  • the possibility of carrying out ambitious projects with high scientific added value and international visibility, exploiting the expertise and capacities of the infrastructure.

A certified Governance

FRANCE GENOMIQUE has set up a governance system, composed of several committees whose members represent the founding parties on the one hand, and on the other hand the members in charge of its management.

In order to ensure the integrity and traceability of its actions, the governance of FRANCE GENOMIQUE obtained ISO9001 certification in January 2019, thus demonstrating the added value of governance on the functioning of the infrastructure.

The management of FRANCE GENOMIQUE is organized around the Executive Committee composed of 7 members in which are represented the institutions most involved in the project (CEA, INRA, CNRS). Its members come from national (Evry) and regional sequencing platforms as well as from the bioinformatics community. The committee is responsible for setting up the infrastructure, defining its general policy, guidelines and ensuring its operability.

The members of the Supervisory Committee are the Presidents (or their representatives) of the four main public research organisations (CEA, CNRS, INRA and Inserm), as well as the co- administrators of the UMS FRANCE GENOMIQUE. This committee oversees recruitment policy, investment strategy and scientific orientations, in collaboration with the Scientific Committee. It is informed of the decisions taken by the Executive Committee and has the right of veto.

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is composed of  international experts in the field of genomics and its applications. appointed by the Supervisory Committee on the proposal of the Executive Committee. It is responsible for evaluating the main scientific orientations and technological choices of FRANCE GENOMIQUE.

Renewed in 2021, the SAB gathered:

Prof Heulin Thierry – President

LEMiRE UMR 7265 BIAM, CEA-CNRS- University Aix-Marseille, France

Prof Gabaldón Toni

Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), and Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Spain

Prof Gilson Eric

IRCAN University Côte d’Azur, France

Prof Orlando Ludovic

Centre for Anthropobiology & Genomics of Toulouse (CAGT), CNRS- University of Toulouse, France

Prof Raes Jeroen

VIB – Centre for Microbiology, Rega Institute, Belgium

Prof Tournier-Lasserve Elisabeth

CERVCO, AP-HP Lariboisière- Fernand Widal, France

Prof Van Duijn Cornelia

Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK

Prof Watson Mick

The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK

Prof Woyke Tanja,

Joint Genome Institute, DOE  Office of Science User Facility, USA

The scientific review committee for project evaluation is composed of the excutive committee and two subcommittees: Human Genetics & Health and Biodiversity. It is responsible for the evaluation and selection of projects submitted to the infrastructure by the community.

An International dimension

As part of its mission, FRANCE GENOMIQUE must affirm the positioning of its activities in the international context through the projects that the infrastructure supports, but also through collaborations with international scientific or genomic research promoting entities.

Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

The Global Alliance for Genomic and Health (GA4GH) was created to help accelerate the potential of genomic medicine to advance human health. It brings together more than 400 leading institutions working in health, research, disease awareness, life sciences and information technology. The Global Alliance partners are working together to create a common framework of harmonised approaches to enable the sharing of genomic and clinical data in a responsible, voluntary and secure manner.

Since March 17, 2017, FRANCE GENOMIQUE has been an organizational member of G44GH.

Our expertise

Our platforms

The e-infrastructure