Sciensano is the Belgian scientific institute for public health.  Its main mission is scientific research in view of support of health policy.  It provides also expertise and public service in the field of public health.

Sciensano can count on more than 700 staff members who commit themselves, day after day, to achieve our motto: Healthy all life long.
As our name suggests, science and health are central to our mission. Sciensano’s strength and uniqueness lie within the holistic and multidisciplinary approach to health. More particularly we focus on the close and indissoluble interconnection between human and animal health and their environment (the “One health” concept). By combining different research perspectives within this framework, Sciensano contributes in its unique way to everybody’s health.
The Service "Transversal activities in applied genomics" is a transversal unit developing and implementing molecular biology and bioinformatics applications to perform both routine analyses, and scientific and technological research. By setting up internal and external partnerships, we generate new knowledge and tools tailored to face and anticipate the current and future challenges affecting human and animal health. This includes activities in the domain of molecular detection, identification and characterisation of micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi), biotech plants and human nucleic acid biomarkers, using high-tech equipment (e.g. real time PCR, Sanger and NGS sequencers).
We work in a cross-cutting manner for all the different services of Sciensano and respond to their specific needs in terms of biotechnology and bio-informatics. We perform ‘routine analyses’ for them, using the latest technological equipment, (DNA sequencers, real-time PCR instruments) and our mastery of the most advanced laboratory techniques. At the same time, we perform scientific and technological research work to perfect genetic analysis tools tailored to given needs. More precisely, our platform hosts expertise-centered teams focusing on virology, bacteriology/mycology, and human/plant. The latter includes a laboratory specialised in the detection and identification of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in particular those present in food and feed.