PRESS RELEASES OF SENATOR PETE DOMENICI

Domenici Learns More About Mental Health Genome Research at Santa Fe Center

Friday, November 3, 2006

SANTA FE – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today met with officials to learn more about recent research advances by the National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR), a center he helped create a dozen years ago to advance genetic research to help fight disease and better understand the genetic code.

Domenici visited NCGR, established in 1994 with a $5.0 million appropriation he secured, to learn more about the progress of the center in ongoing efforts to genetically map plants, as well as a joint project with the Albuquerque-based MIND Institute (Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery) to find the genetic basis of schizophrenia. Domenici and his wife Nancy are long-time mental health advocates.

“I am excited and impressed with the work being done at the National Center for Genome Resources, particularly in the area of schizophrenia research. We are learning more everyday about genetic codes, and now I am pleased that we’ve reached a point where that knowledge may lead to cures to diseases that have baffled us for years,” Domenici said. “I continue to believe that mapping the human genome can lead to the greatest ‘wellness’ program for all mankind.”

Domenici, a senior Senate Appropriations Committee member, has tentatively secured $1.1 million in the FY2007 Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill for NCGR to purchase of genome sequencing equipment, which will be used in the joint Schizophrenia Genome Project (SGP) partnership.

“NCGR is working with the MIND Institute to try to map out the causes of schizophrenia in order to prevent it from occurring. I will push for Congress to approve the funding for this research later this fall,” Domenici said.

The SGP combines the NCGR genome sequencing analysis with the brain imaging technology of the MIND Institute. Understanding the genetics behind schizophrenia will help with diagnosis and could spur new strategies for combating the disease.

Domenici has also supported efforts by NCGR to genetically map plants, which could help better understand allergies to substances like peanuts. Thus far, he has obtained $4.6 million for the work, with another $2.15 million expected in FY2007.

The genome project began with the founding of the Los Alamos Sequence Library in 1979. Domenici supported early funding for the genome project when it was primarily handled by the Department of Energy (including Los Alamos National Laboratory) and the National Institutes of Health.

In 1987, Domenici introduced legislation to coordinate U.S. biotechnology research and worked to secure funding for work done at LANL and other research facilities to map and sequence the entire complement of human genes. These genes are coded in the three billion molecular DNA building blocks.

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