The Microsoft Corporation is providing a boost to genomic research with six research grants.

Microsoft Research, an outgrowth of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft, announced the six grants through its Computational Challenges of Genome Wide Association Studies program. The grants total $850,000.

Microsoft Research officials hope the grants will aid researchers in correlating genetic patterns with patients' responses to drugs, diseases, aging or the expression of genetic disorders. The goal is to enable lifesaving research through the use of technology.

"When it comes to performing genetic analysis, researchers are often hampered by the data itself, whether it's inconsistencies in format, the inability to visualize it, or sheer volume," said Kristin Tolle, program manager for biomedical computing on the External Research & Programs (ER&P) team at Microsoft Research. "Through this program, Microsoft Research is encouraging the development of computer-science solutions to improve data access, standardization, visualization and tools to help scientists study the human genome."

One of the funded projects includes breakthrough research intended to give clinicians the ability to predict and prevent adverse drug responses in prescriptive medicine.

A second project aims to provide greater insight into the cause of neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Microsoft Research officials said they received 40 proposals from 39 academic institutions.

Grant winners and their organizations are: Purdue University, Michael Kane and John Springer; Translational Genomics Research Institute, John Pearson; National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bryan Traynor; Columbia University, George Hripcsak; University of the Republic of Uruguay, Pasteur Institute at Montevideo, Raul Ruggia and Hugo Naya; and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, the Division of Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, with researchers Trey Ideker and Richard Karp.