The Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory (GMEL) provides a range of genomics solutions from high-throughput DNA/RNA extraction, to gene expression, methylation analysis, and genotyping. Our laboratory specializes in large-scale population genetics studies and also provides expertise for the design and analysis of experiments. The laboratory is automated and handles projects ranging from a few hundred to >10,000 samples.  To date, the GMEL has analyzed over 50,000 DNA samples.

Located in the David Braley Cardiovascular and Stroke Research Institute, the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory directed by Dr. Pare is 1,700 sq. ft. and fully equipped to perform cutting-edge genomics experiments. The GMEL is equipped with an iScan system from Illumina, which can genotype up to 5 million genetic markers per sample and is widely recognized as one of the best platforms for genome-wide analysis. The laboratory also has a BeadXpress reader from Illumina for lower-throughput projects.   In addition, the Ion PGM Sequencer benchtop next-generation sequencer is available for targeting 10-100 genes as well as for miRNA gene expression projects.  Furthermore, this sequencing technology has recently been approved for clinical use, providing the highest standards of validation and quality.  A real-time PCR with 384-well plates compatibility is available (ViiA7 from ABI), as well as a pyrosequencer (PyroMark from Qiagen).  The laboratory is fully automated with a state-of-the-art Bravo automated liquid handling system (Agilent).  Along with the Clinical Research and Clinical Trials Laboratory (CRCTL), the GMEL laboratory has joint access to two QiaSymphony and one AutoPure high-throughput nucleic acid automated extraction systems (>40,000 DNAs extracted to date).  

For inquiries about services and pricing, please contact Reina Ditta, Laboratory Manager, at (905) 527-4322 ext. 40612.

The Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory provides a complete range of services for analysis of genetic material, including design of experiments and statistical analysis. Most frequently requested services include:

DNA extraction

Illumina Custom Genotyping
384 SNPs VeracodeGoldenGate Panel
1536 GoldenGate Panel

Illumina Pre-designed Genotyping

Omni Express
Omni 2.5M

HumanCore BeadChip

HumanCoreExome BeadChip

Illumina Gene Expression
HT-12 Gene Expression (Human)

WG-DASL HT-12 Gene Expression (Human)
MouseRef-8 v2 Expression BeadChip

MouseWG-6 Expression BeadChip

Illumina Epigenetic Analysis

Methylation450 BeadChip (Human)

Pre-designed and custom TaqMan Genotyping