Erasmus MC

Erasmus MC

The Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC) based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, affiliated with Erasmus University and home to its faculty of medicine, is the "largest and one of the most authoritative scientific University Medical Centers in Europe."[1] With 1320 beds it is the second largest hospital of the Netherlands, only 19 beds behind UMC Groningen.

The hospital has three locations:

Special units include:

Erasmus MC is located next to the Museumpark.

The Erasmus MC ranks #1 of the top European institution in clinical medicine and #20 in the world according to the Times Higher Education rankings.[2]

Complete Genomics

In May 2011 Erasmus Medical Center signed an agreement with California-based Complete Genomics (NASDAQ: GNOM), a life sciences company that has developed and commercialized a proprietary DNA sequencing platform for human genome sequencing and analysis. Complete Genomics signed a contract to produce genetic sequence for 250 Erasmus Medical Center samples.[3] In September 2012 the Beijing Genomics Institute purchased Complete Genomics for $117M.[4] The United States Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States cleared the purchase by December 2012.[5]

The head of bioinformatics, Dr. Peter J. van der Spek, claimed that Complete Genomics' complete human genome sequencing service will allow us to study genetic variations at a higher resolution and greater sensitivity than has been previously possible."[1]

MERS Controversy

In the ongoing investigation of the MERS virus, a team from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam received two patient samples from Dr. Ali Mohamed Zaki, an Egyptian scientist working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After sequencing the MERS DNA, EMC claimed ownership of the samples. EMC now requires scientists hoping to work on the MERS problem to sign legal agreements with Erasmus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still waiting to receive samples of MERS for testing that were collected in October 2012 because the legal teams from the CDC and Erasmus cannot negotiate agreeable terms for a material transfer agreement. As a result of these legal delays during a disease outbreak, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, publicly criticized Erasmus for putting patent laws ahead of protecting "your people."

External links

References

  1. 1 2 "Erasmus University Medical Center Partners With Complete Genomics To Begin Developing Its Genomic Medicine Pipeline". Globe and Mail. 19 May 2011.
  2. Top European institutions in clinical medicine
  3. "Erasmus University Medical Center Partners With Complete Genomics to Begin Developing Its Genomic Medicine Pipeline". Mountain View, California. 18 May 2011.
  4. Baker, Monya (15 September 2012). "Impact of impending US budget cut on science revealed". Nature.
  5. Pollack, Andrew (December 30, 2012). "U.S. Clears DNA Firm's Acquisition by Chinese". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2012.

Coordinates: 51°54′36″N 4°28′03″E / 51.91000°N 4.46750°E / 51.91000; 4.46750

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