Commending the Translational Genomics Research Institute

Floor Speech

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues from Arizona to commend the Translational Genomics Research Institute for a decade of biomedical research success.

TGen was founded in Arizona in 2002 to leverage new scientific discoveries from the mapping of the human genome, and its establishment promptly accelerated the state into the era of genomics and personalized medicine.

Significant to TGen's establishment was the confluence of support from all sectors of the state to attract this new institute to base its operations in Arizona as well as recruit the renowned geneticist, Dr. Jeffrey Trent to lead it, and position the state as a worldwide leader in bioscience and medical discovery. Academic, business, philanthropic and government leaders all joined forces in a statewide campaign within a matter of months to strategically assemble the necessary support. The members of Arizona's delegation also rallied behind this collective vision.

What most excited Arizona leaders was the vision put forth by Dr. Jeff Trent, to accelerate and translate scientific discovery into more immediate and effective benefits for patients, all made possible with the new information from the human genome and rapidly developing technology.

It was on this day ten years ago, June 26, 2002, with high expectations and hopes, that Governor Hull and state leaders announced the successful launch of TGen and the genomics era in Arizona. A decade of exciting growth and new research discoveries has since transpired, with TGen's rising tide lifting all boats.
Investment into TGen and the biosciences spurred growth across the state, catalyzing the launch of the Critical Path Institute and Bio5 in southern Arizona, to ASU's Biodesign Institute and a northern Phoenix bio campus, and TGen North and expansion of W.L. Gore in northern Arizona. The bioindustry has flourished over the past ten years, even during economic downturns, becoming a significant high-performing sector of the Arizona economy.

For patients, TGen is offering hope where there had been none with novel treatments offered only in Arizona. By partnering with clinical entities like the Mayo Clinic and Scottsdale Healthcare, TGen is focusing on utilizing genomic analyses to improve and customize patient treatments. Patients with pancreatic cancer and rare diseases like basal cell carcinoma are finding answers to their treatment struggles, improving quality of patient lives and allowing more years to spend with loved ones. Whether it's sequencing anthrax or the plague, investigating H1N1 or Valley Fever; finding new clues to triple-negative breast cancer or Alzheimer's disease; or, leading new collaborative research partnerships addressing pediatric and canine cancers, TGen's research has made substantial inroads over the past ten years.

More than a decade ago, the mapping of human genome represented a challenge to the world to make use of this new knowledge for the benefit of humankind. Arizona answered this challenge and now TGen is leading the model to fuse modern medicine with the power of translational research to fuel the next wave of treatments for all manner of human diseases.
As the tenth-year anniversary of TGen's launch is celebrated today, I applaud Dr. Trent and the scientists at TGen for their unwavering commitment to make a difference for patients and lead innovative research for Arizona into the next decade.

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