Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/110509
What a Character I n the world of genomics, survival of the fittest is a reinforced practice. The weak do not advance. Scientists at Gainesville-based RAPiD Genomics have established a valuable business using that very Darwinian theory. By developing genotyping methods to characterize DNA in plants and animals, they can determine what contributes to breeding better plants and animals. Since discovering the DNA double helix as we know it today, scientists have worked toward creating methods to best characterize a species down to the exact arrangement of its nucleic acids. Through funding from the Florida High Tech Corridor Council���s Matching Grants Research Program (MGRP), RAPiD Genomics has partnered with University of Florida (UF) scientists to develop more efficient methods 30 ���The number of plant and animal species to be characterized far outweighs the funds available to do it all, which is why our collaboration with UF has been incredibly beneficial in sharing resources and expertise,��� said John McGuire, CEO of RAPiD Genomics. florida.HIGH.TECH 2013 fht_univ_research_2013.indd 30 2/11/13 2:07 PM