MORL Timeline
The MORL First Established
January 1991Formerly known as Molecular Otolaryngology Research Laboratories, the MORL conducted research for hearing loss related conditions.
Hereditary Hearing Loss (HHL) Homepage Published
1993Dr. Richard Smith and Dr. Guy Van Camp developed this resource after discovering the need for such website at a Molecular Biology of Hearing and Deafness (MBHD). The HHL Homepage provides an up-to-date overview of all known gene localizations and identifications for monogenic non-syndromic hearing loss.
Renal Research Division Added
January 1997The MORL expanded to Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Laboratory to conduct research related to kidney disease.
Clinical Testing Division Developed
January 1999The Clinical Diagnostic Services arm of the MORL began providing comprehensive genetic screening for non-syndromic hearing loss to physicians in 1999 as the MORL first became CLIA certified.
OtoSCOPE® was the first clinically available genetic testing platform for hearing loss worldwide. Over 7,000 patients have been tested on OtoSCOPE®
Comprehensive Genetic Screening for Complement-Mediated Renal Diseases
March 2005In 2005 an expansion of services allowed the laboratory to be the first to offer comprehensive genetic screening for patients with complement mediated kidney diseases, atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) and Dense Deposit Disease (DDD).
First C3G/DDD Family Conference
October 2005As family outreach is very important to the MORL, a biannual conference was created to provide support, education and connections to those diagnosed with the ultra-rare renal disease, C3G/DDD.
atypical HUS Family Conference
2006The University of Iowa, the MORL, along with the aHUS Foundation established an event for patients and families living with aHUS. This collaborative effort not only shared the latest medical updates regarding aHUS, but gave individuals living with aHUS the opportunity to share common experiences.
AudioGene Website Launched
2009This resource predicts the genetic cause of autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss based on audiometric data.
Complement Protein Functional Assays
2010A complete array of complement protein functional assays began in 2010. These assays are tailored for efficiently monitoring biomarker levels indicative of the extent of complement dysregulation. These tests include Complement Levels (C3, C4, Factor B, Factor D, C5, Properdin, Factor H, Factor I) and Complement Activation Products (C3c, Ba, Bb, and Soluble C5b-9). Together these 12 tests form the Complement Biomarker Panel.
Deafness Variation Database Released
June 2011This resource was made to collate, annotate and classify all genetic variants related to syndromic and non-syndromic hearing loss.
C3GN/DDD Family Conference Became Annual
2011Expanding on the mission of family outreach, the MORL expanded its biannual family conference to an annual conference allowing the clinical teams from the University of Iowa and the complement-mediated kidney disease teams at the MORL to bring together medical and research information to individuals with C3GN/DDD and their families.
First in the World to Offer Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
2012The MORL became the first laboratory in the world to offer a comprehensive Next Generation Sequencing platform to detect variants in all known hearing loss genes simultaneously.
C3 Glomerulonephritis Testing
2013Testing for C3 Glomerulonephritis, including Dense Deposit Disease (DDD) and C3 Glomerulonephritis (C3GN), was established to provide healthcare providers more information regarding their patient's condition.
Thrombotic Microangiopathy Panel
2014A comprehensive Thrombotic Microangiopathy (TMA) panel was added to the list of services being offered to patients and physicians. The methodology of this panel assesses the functionality and integrity of the complement system in patients with atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome / complement-mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy. The panel tests complement levels, complement activation products, pathways activity assays and detection of autoantibodies.
Next Generation Sequencing for Genetic Kidney Division
2014Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform used to establish the Genetic Renal Panel. This panel is comprehensive, personalized and efficient, and can provide information on best methods of treatment, prognosis and recurrence chance for patients diagnosed with complement-mediated TMAs and C3G.
Natural History Study Started
January 2017The MORL is focused on the research of the ultra-rare complement- mediated kidney diseases, DDD and C3GN, known together as C3 Glomerulopathy (C3G). This study aims to collect clinical data on 400 people to pair this data with biomarkers of disease, genetic variations in specific genes and pathology to then share discoveries with other doctors and scientists.
MORL scRNA-Seq Website Launched
March 2019This resource contains cochlear single-cell sequencing datasets generated by the MORL and can be used to query gene expression and browse transcript structure.
Molecular Biology of Hearing and Deafness (MBHD) Conference
May 2022For the first time ever the MBHD conference was held by the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa and organized by the Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Laboratories (MORL) to allow collaboration between fellow scientists and healthcare providers.
20,000 Clinical Patients
January 2024The MORL provided clinical testing for the 20,000th patient.