Frequently Asked Questions

The formal partnership, which encompassed The Advanced Genomics Collaboration (TAGC), between the University of Melbourne and Illumina has now concluded.  

However, the impact and work of TAGC will be felt for many years to come. The innovation projects will continue to use information gained from TAGC funded research to accelerate the application of genomics in Australian healthcare. The mentorship, training, and experience gained from TAGC has enhanced the talent pipeline and built a future-ready workforce in genomics.  

Both the University of Melbourne and Illumina will continue to work together to accelerate the translation of biomedical research, making genomics more affordable and accessible to improving health for everyone.

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TAGC improved patient outcomes by making genomic testing faster, more accurate and more useful in real clinical settings. By generating high-quality whole-genome data and creating better tools to analyse it, researchers were able to uncover the genetic causes of disease that traditional testing often missed. This meant more patients received earlier, clearer and more precise diagnoses – helping guide the right treatment sooner.

Through liquid biopsies, researchers were able to gain crucial genomic information through a simple blood test, providing faster diagnosis and a less invasive method of monitoring cancer in a patient, while reducing the number of unnecessary tests and procedures. TAGC’s health economic evidence helped show the value of genomics in routine care, supporting future investment that will allow more patients across Australia to access life-changing genomic testing.

Overall, TAGC delivered faster answers, more targeted care and a stronger foundation for personalised medicine that will continue to benefit patients well beyond the life of the project.

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TAGC prioritised training and mentorship, enrolling 118 students into multidisciplinary internships which built real-world experience, employability and teamwork skills and knowledge in genomic projects. The internships spanned several University of Melbourne faculties and 16 different majors – connecting students from different disciplines and fostering a rich mix of skills and perspectives.

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Australia is now positioned to build on the work of TAGC to scale, integrate and accelerate genomics in healthcare. With TAGC’s platforms now established, the focus shifts to bringing whole-genome sequencing into everyday care, connecting data nationally, and supporting research that turns genomic findings into better health outcomes for all Australians.

TAGC delivered a significant step-change in how genomic data is generated, analysed and used in research, healthcare and policy. Over its lifetime, TAGC supported three world-class enabling platforms – Clinical Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Health Economics—that made large-scale whole-genome sequencing faster, more affordable and more informative for clinicians and researchers.

TAGC produced high-quality genomic systems at a scale not previously possible in Australia, created secure cloud-based systems to analyse and share this data nationally, and generated powerful economic evidence to guide future government investment in genomic medicine. The Centre supported (70+) of research projects and clinical studies (17), accelerated diagnosis for patients, improved data accessibility for collaborators, and strengthened Australia’s capacity to deliver precision medicine.

In short, TAGC established the infrastructure , evidence and partnerships needed to embed genomics into routine care and future national initiatives.

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Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and follow @illumina.

The University of Melbourne is a public-spirited institution making distinctive contributions to society in research, learning and teaching and engagement. The leading international university has over 160 years' experience in teaching and research. Our student body consists of 47,000 students with an international cohort of over 11,800 students from 120 countries. Learn more at unimelb.edu.au.

At its heart, TAGC had three core platforms. These platforms were established to enable fast and affordable research, analysis, trial, commercialisation and application of genomics-based health innovation at both global quality and scale.

Clinical Genomics Platform: TAGC's Clinical Genomics Platform delivered rapid sequencing of whole genomes on a scale that provided timely insight for every collaborating researcher and clinician. This extensive platform reduced costs and has supported work which could introduce precise genomics-based diagnostics as a fast, affordable, integral part of everyday biomedical research and clinical care.

Bioinformatics Platform: TAGC's Bioinformatics Platform was a cloud-based system that enabled the creation, storage and interrogation of national and global-scale genomic datasets. Data on this scale enables improvements for both individuals and communities. For the individual, it enabled faster, improved diagnosis and targeted, more effective treatment. For communities it helped create big picture government policy, investment and regulation that is more informed and therefore more effective.

Health Economics Platform: TAGC's Health Economics Platform worked with multiple stakeholders to generate high-quality evidence supporting a better understanding of the long-term cost-effectiveness of implementing genomic testing in Australian healthcare system. The platform has analysed TAGC's national and global-scale genomic datasets, as well as established a statewide data linkage system to provide evidence-based guidance for public policy and investment. TAGC's data-driven health economics research informed government assessments of the value for money of genomic tests and revealed stakeholder’s preference regarding reimbursement pathways to enable greater accessibility to improved healthcare for everyone.

Together with Illumina’s commercial expertise and global connections, the core platforms enabled the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct to capitalise on its competitive advantage in genomics research. The platforms are underpinned by cloud-based informatics infrastructure enabling the delivery of genomics at scale for flagship and future innovation projects.

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TAGC's Innovation Projects were genomics-focused health projects which received up to $2 million in funding for up to two years from The Advanced Genomics Collaboration (TAGC).

Projects funded by this opportunity successfully:

• developed a commercial genomic based application, tool, diagnostic or service;

• created new jobs and student opportunities; and,

• collaborated with companies and/or resulted in products that are licensed/acquired by industry (not necessarily during the two-year funding period).

Projects were based at The University of Melbourne and MACH partner organisations, and included at least one University of Melbourne employee in the project team.

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The facilities and equipment of TAGC will continue to be used for research and training purposes. These assets will support future genomics research, clinical studies and innovation projects beyond the life of the formal collaboration.

The activities of the TAGC have now concluded. This website will be accessible until 31 December 2027 to showcase the collaboration’s achievements in translating and accelerating the role of genomics in Australian healthcare.

For more information on the TAGC you can contact the Collaborative Centre for Genomic Cancer Medicine at ccgcm-team@unimelb.edu.au.

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