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A Special WUWM News SeriesThe Milwaukee River allowed commerce and industry to thrive during the city's formative years and provided recreation. However, disregard for the river's health led to decades of decay.WUWM News explores recent developments to rejuvenate the Milwaukee River and their success at drawing people back to the city's historic arterial.

School of Freshwater Sciences to Launch Genomics Center

S Bence

UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences is a step closer to achieving its goal to grow. On Tuesday, The Fund for Lake Michigan awarded the school a hefty grant.

Right now, the freshwater school - located where Greenfield Avenue bumps into Milwaukee’s inner harbor – is a massive construction zone.

Its $53 million expansion is multiplying classrooms and labs. Somewhere in the midst of the enlarged space, the new $500,000 grant will help the Great Lakes Genomics Center come to life.

The financial contribution is part of a larger challenge grant.  It aims to raise funds to acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to genomic research.

While the federal government’s Human Genome Project develops new insights into human diseases and ways to fight them; the Freshwater School’s program will tackle Great Lakes issues through a genomic lens - including ways to tackle water quality and habitat problems.

Susan is WUWM's environmental reporter.