Prof Peter Dearden, of the university’s biochemistry department, made that comment yesterday, and leads the alliance.
It is understood that Otago University is likely to gain at least $7million from its role, and the overall funding is spread over seven years.
Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith yesterday announced the investment in Genomics Aotearoa, a new collaborative science organisation supporting advanced genomics research.
Genomics was a "fast-moving, data-intensive research field", underpinning a wide range of science that was "increasingly important to New Zealand", Mr Goldsmith said.
Led by the Otago University, Genomics Aotearoa is an alliance between the universities of Auckland and Massey, Crown Research Institutes AgResearch, ESR, Landcare Research, and Plant and Food, and 32 associate organisations including researchers and end-users of genomics and bioinformatics.
The new collaborative platform presents a major opportunity for New Zealand to be at the "forefront of genomics", he said.
The new platform would "accelerate genomics research", and "speed up our understanding of diseases like Kauri dieback, how to counter pest animal species, and develop new medical treatments for diseases such as cancer", Mr Goldsmith said.
Prof Dearden said Otago University was particularly strong in biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and genetics, and he acknowledged the new initiative reflected positively on the university and Dunedin.
Four people would be appointed to undertake administrative work for the initiative.
Prof Dearden said New Zealand faced pressing environmental issues such as Kauri dieback and myrtle rust diseases, and some concerns about the security of urban drinking water.
He also acknowledged that the country faced medical challenges with relatively high rates of some cancers, particularly melanoma and colorectal cancer.
The Government funding was positive, and the initiative could make a "big change" in meeting some of the challenges New Zealand was facing, he said.
He was proud and excited to be leading this new collaborative initiative, but was also mindful that he was taking on a "big responsibility".
This was an "important task" — "we want to get it right".
Genomics involves data-intensive computing to decode the DNA of plants, animals, and humans to understand how groups of genes interact with each other and the external environment.