There's more to speed than meets the eye
Ireland is at the heart of the world's racehorse breeding industry. So where else would you expect to find the university that fostered a spin-out company, Equinome, that uses genomics technologies to test for speed and performance in the bloodstock industry across the world.
Learn how UCD's focus on Innovation is bringing research ideas to life in Ireland and worldwide.
Genetic information speeds us towards the future of horse racing performance
The reason, they say, the Irish breed great race horses, is the limestone bedrock that stretches from the Curragh across the midlands to the Golden Vale in Munster. But, while that may very well be the case historically, the future of horse racing performance is more likely to be in the hands of UCD genetic scientist, Dr Emmeline Hill, whose spinout company, Equinome, uses genomics technologies to examine panels of DNA variants that have been identified as being critical to racing performance. Through this research, Hill has identified the ‘speed gene’ and more recently has traced its origins.
Hill’s company has succeeded in securing major clients in the bloodstock industry for the Equinome Speed Gene Test and the Equinome Elite Performance Test, including overseas clients in Australia, France, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Hong Kong and Singapore. With new products scheduled for release in 2012, Equinome’s vision is to become the global industry standard for the provision of genetic information to the thoroughbred horse industry.
University College Dublin is bringing Innovation to the fore
In UCD’s strategic plan to 2014, Forming Global Minds, innovation was established as a third, constitutive pillar of UCD’s activity and identity, building on UCD’s achievements in education and research. This helps to strengthen the University’s core mission of service to Ireland in the wider world. At UCD, innovation relates both to economic development and to the culture and society which it will serve through the nurturing of the creative environment and the evidence-based design of better and more efficient social services.
NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, is the hub of innovation and knowledge transfer activities at University College Dublin. NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with industry and business. NovaUCD as a purpose-built centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises such as Equinome.
Graduate Studies
UCD offers a unique international masters degree in forensic computing for law enforcement agencies such as Interpol, that could be the stuff of television.
It’s just one among a diverse range of graduate courses available at UCD.
>> Learn more about Cybercrime and Graduate studies opportunities at UCD
Research at UCD
Mapping, simulating and understanding uncharted biochemical networks - UCD's Professor Walter Kolch uses research to understand the networks of the human body, ultimately opening the door to personalised medicines. It's all part of UCD's aim to use research to address the challenges that will shape our futures.
International Education
In 1873 John Henry Newman published a series of lectures and essays in which he proposed how a university should foster knowledge and learning.
Discover how UCD has developed and built upon The Idea of a University for a new global era.
>> Learn more about UCD's history of International Education