Royal Marsden launches first UK genome testing facility to improve testing for cancer

The installation will double the capacity of cancer genomic testing using robotic automation

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust has launched the UK’s first ever genome testing facility at the Sharjah Clinical Genomics Laboratory in the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Centre for Molecular Pathology, Royal Marsden, to increase genomic testing capacity for cancer patients.

The launch builds on the partnership between Royal Marsden and Automata Technologies, announced in 2023, to increase cancer genomic testing capacity through robotic automation.

Somatic testing identifies genetic changes in cancer cells that accelerate tumour growth and provides a target for personalised cancer treatment.

The new installation will double the genomics testing capacity while also expanding the range of tests that it can perform within its existing laboratory space.

Sample pathways for saliva, tissue biopsies, blood and bone marrow are being automated through Automata’s LINQ platform, a ‘smart’ laboratory bench that connects equipment using robotic and digital technology.

The installation is equipped with six robotic arms, which will increase the throughput of the cancer testing lab without affecting accuracy.

Not only will this allow the hospital to process more somatic tests, but it will also launch new genetic, or cancer germline, testing to identify inherited genetic changes that increase the risk of cancer and help identify the right treatments.

In particular, the installation will primarily test for mutations in the BRCA genes, which impact the risk of a wide range of cancers, including breast and ovarian.

As well as improving patient outcomes, the installation will support genetics and cancer research while also providing laboratory technologists and scientists with more time for development work.

Michael Hubank, scientific director, clinical genomics, Royal Marsden and professor of translational genomics, Institute of Cancer Research, commented: “We are incredibly excited to be the first laboratory in the country to use this technology for genomic cancer testing and look forward to further developments in the future.”

Mostafa ElSayed, chief executive officer, Automata, said: “This collaboration marks just the beginning of what automation can achieve for the NHS and within healthcare more widely.”