Monthly Archives: August 2013

Targeted Resequencing (TPS/WES) Tops Next Gen Sequencing Survey

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Oxford Gene Technology (NGS provider currently listed on Genohub) recently presented the results of their next gen sequencing survey which demonstrated targeted resequencing as the top use for next generation sequencing. The results are based on a survey of 596 researchers who responded regarding their current and expected use of NGS services. When compared to the results for whole genome sequencing the popularity of targeted resequencing is possibly attributed mostly to the lower cost of targeted resequencing. This infographic depicts the results:

OGT NGS Survey Results

OGT NGS Survey Results

Other interesting results point to a general data problem with 38% of respondents saying they lack trust in bioinformatics data. Bioinformatics also leads the field when researchers were asked about the biggest barrier to NGS usage (see below).

Barriers to NGS Usage

Barriers to NGS Usage

Undoubtedly this presents an immense opportunity for the bioinformatics sector to increase confidence in data accuracy and interpretation which could have a positive impact on the use of next gen sequencing as a whole.

You can find many more interesting survey results on the excellent infographic titled Oxford Gene Technology – NGS Survey 2013.

BaseClear Lists Next Gen Sequencing Services On Genohub

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Genohub would like to welcome BaseClear to the Genohub family. The sequencing services listed by BaseClear has added more available options for researchers on the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

BaseClear has listed the following next gen sequencing instruments and Illumina library prep options:

  • Instruments:
    • Illumina MiSeq paired end sequencing options
    • Illumina HiSeq paired end sequencing options
    • PacBio SMRT Cell
  • Library prep:
    • Illumina DNA
    • Illumina 16S V4
    • Illumina RNA (rRNA-depleted)

BaseClear is located in the BioSciencePark (BSP) of Leiden in the Netherlands. By using Illumina systems (HiSEQ2500 and MiSEQ) in combination with the PacBio RS system BaseClear can offer whole genome analysis and offer a wide variety of combinations of read lengths, number of tags and paired end size ranges. The lab has been ISO17025 accredited since 2006.

We are excited to include BaseClear’s high throughput sequencing services on the Genohub next gen sequencing market.

UTHSCSA Lists Next Generation Sequencing Services On Genohub

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Genohub would like to welcome the Genome Sequencing Facility (GSF) at Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute in the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to the Genohub family. The sequencing services listed by UTHSCSA has added more available options for researchers on the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

UTHSCSA listed the following next generation sequencing instruments and Illumina library preparation options:

  • Instruments:
    • Illumina MiSeq paired end sequencing options
    • Illumina HiSeq single read and paired end sequencing options
  • Library prep:
    • Illumina ChIP
    • Illumina Directional RNA (polyA-selected)
    • Illumina Directional RNA (rRNA-depleted)
    • Illumina DNA
    • Illumina Exome
    • Illumina RNA (polyA-selected)
    • Illumina RNA (rRNA-depleted)
    • Illumina Small RNA (microRNA)

The GSF has a stated mission to deploy NGS systems focusing on cancer genomics to benefit Greehey CCRI investigators and the wider research community. The NGS facility performs all protocols necessary for preparing a sample to be sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 system. The GSF is also a research group with experience in customizing experiments and developing new applications. They provide:

  • Complete project consultation for optimal experimental design and setup
  • Complete quality control analysis during library preparation and data generation
  • Secure website to download the sequencing data with quality information
  • Full project report
  • Bioinformatics analysis option available
  • NCBI GenBank submission option available

We are excited to include UTHSCSA high throughput sequencing services on the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

First XPRIZE Cancelled Due To Unexpected Innovation in Next Gen Sequencing

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For the first time ever, an XPRIZE has been cancelled. The reason — unexpected innovation in next generation sequencing. The Archon Genomics XPRIZE announced in 2006, had promised to award $10 mil to the first team that was able to accurately sequence 100 whole human genomes at a cost of $10,000 or less per genome in a short period of time. The competition was cancelled as XPRIZE CEO Peter Diamandis and team felt it was not serving its intended purpose to incentivize technological innovation in gene sequencing.

As stated by Peter Diamandis, “Every XPRIZE is carefully designed to address a market failure and hopefully create a new industry to achieve breakthroughs and solutions once thought to be impossible.” Although the Archon Genomics XPRIZE was conceived according to this criteria, the XPRIZE team felt that innovation in gene sequencing has been progressing independently of the XPRIZE incentive, therefore voiding the need for the competition.

The rapid innovation in next generation sequencing has caused sequencing times to decrease and prices to plummet to around $5,000 per genome. The XPRIZE team feels as if the targets laid out by the competition will be met in the very near future with or without their incentive, and have opted to cancel the XPRIZE and return the money to sponsors. The announcement by Peter Diamandis can be read in its entirety on the Huffington Post.

The logic behind the XPRIZE cancellation seems clear, however it remains to be seen what backlash, if any, arises from scientists who may have spent considerable time and effort devoted to meeting this challenge. Although next gen sequencing instruments are developed by large companies such as Illumina ($1.15B revenue), which may not be driven by a competition like the XPRIZE, innovation in this field must also be attributed to the wider research community, of which a team may have conceivably won the competition independent of any large commercial enterprise. In fact, in his cancellation announcement, Peter Diamandis thanks George Church and the Wyss Institute at Harvard for registering for the competition. Does the XPRIZE lose some of its ability to incentivize future competitions because of this cancellation? We welcome your comments on the matter.

How to Select the Best Next Generation Sequencing Platform For Your Project

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We often get questions from researchers on selecting the best next generation sequencing platforms for specific projects. We are glad to offer free consultation to researchers on inquiries such as these among others. We also offer a sequencing guide to get you started.

Another great resource is a YouTube talk by Dr Elaine Mardis, a professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology and the co-director of the Genome Institute at the Washington University School of Medicine. She begins by discussing next gen sequencing instrument similarities, such as library amplification, nucleotide detection, read lengths, and paired end sequencing. She then dives into the factors unique to individual next gen sequencing instruments by Roche 454, Life Technologies, Illumina, Ion Torrent, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore. The discussion focuses on the benefits and dissimilarities among them associated with:

  • Paired end reads: linear vs circularized fragments
  • Sequencing technologies: DNA polymerase, DNA ligase, synthesis H+ detection, syntheses, and nanopore
  • Library amplification methods: emPCR, bridge amplification, and its absence in some 3rd gen platforms
  • Run times
  • Error rates
  • Read lengths

Below, you can view the video in its entirety which goes into quite some detail and discusses the best types of projects for each NGS platform.

Micro-Seq Lists Next Generation Sequencing Services On Genohub

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Genohub would like to welcome Micro-Seq Enterprises to the Genohub family. The sequencing services listed by Micro-Seq has added more available options for researchers on the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

Micro-Seq listed the following next generation sequencing instrument and Illumina library preparation options:

  • Instrument:
    • Illumina MiSeq paired end sequencing options
  • Library prep:
    • Illumina DNA
    • Illumina 16S V4
    • Illumina Small RNA (microRNA)
    • Illumina RNA (rRNA-depleted)
    • Illumina Bisulfite

Micro-Seq Enterprises was formed to help reduce the sometimes long delay researchers are forced to endure to get the results of their experiments that involve DNA or RNA sequencing (RNA-seq, RNAseq), including bacterial community analysis (16S sequencing). Micro-Seq is able to offer quick turnaround times for researchers with smaller sequencing projects. Unlike sequencers with enormous capacity, the economic scale of the Illumina MiSeq prevents researchers with smaller sequencing projects from enduring longer wait times and higher fees.

 

We are excited to include Micro-Seq’s high throughput sequencing services on the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

Press Release: Genohub Launches Next Generation Sequencing Marketplace

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You can view the original press release on our official launch at PRWeb.com. Thanks to the folks at RNA-Seq Blog for quickly picking up the story.

Genohub announced the launch of their online market for next generation sequencing services today.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) August 16, 2013

Genohub.com announced the launch of their online market for next generation sequencing services today. The online service, is positioned to completely change the way high throughput sequencing services are ordered, accelerating genomic research by improving access to sequencing services. Genohub’s intelligent sequencing matching engine instantly matches researchers with service providers based on specific project criteria. Genohub facilitates the management of sequencing projects throughout the sequencing lifecycle from selecting orderable sequencing packages, to communication, payments and delivery of data.

For Researchers

Genohub’s online service transforms the way researchers go about ordering next generation sequencing (NGS) and reinforces the critical researcher-provider communication cycle involved in every project. Genohub’s model eliminates the need for researchers to call multiple service providers to compare service details and prices. Researchers use the smart NGS matching engine to gain immediate access to up-to-date service listings from reputable providers. The transparent pricing model, with exact service prices, reduces the time needed to compare services and makes it significantly faster, more informed and more accurate than manually ordering by email or phone. Researchers using the service are also able to take advantage of one-time deals and other offers not normally available through a provider’s website or pricing sheet. Clear maximum turnaround times for each service reduces the unpredictability associated with project completion dates. Researchers using the service are able to track the status of their orders, upload data or project specific information and post messages to providers performing the work.

Genohub’s shopping interface is designed to accommodate both researchers with prior experience with the latest sequencing technology, as well as the increasing number of life science researchers who are not necessarily familiar with the latest sequencer specs or perhaps have no prior sequencing experience at all. Experienced users can search by selecting specific instruments and run types while researchers new to sequencing can shop for services by their project requirements, e.g., read number and coverage. Researchers who need help selecting the right sequencing service can also take advantage of free consultation by Genohub’s PhD trained staff.

For Service Providers

Genohub has also invested significantly on promoting NGS service providers by allowing them to advertise services and extend their reach to places where they would normally not receive orders. Providers sign up and list their services in a structured format allowing Genohub’s matching engine to automatically offer services to customers based on their experimental needs. The online service facilitates customer communication via a centralized messaging interface, which allows providers to request data, convey unforeseen handling or quality issues and relay project status to the researcher.

Genohub also automatically generates accurate quotes based on the pricing information that has to be entered by the provider only once. This significantly reduces the amount of time providers would normally have to spend on creating and communicating quotes

“While high-throughput sequencing holds enormous potential for unlocking new discoveries, the high cost and complexity of sequencing projects necessitate a professional marketplace like Genohub to improve access and facilitate collaboration between researchers and service providers across universities, companies, as well as other private and public research organizations around the globe,” said Pouya Razavi, Genohub’s CEO and co-founder.

Media Contact:
Estevan McCalley, Head of Customer Development
Genohub
512-436-0111
info@genohub.com
https://genohub.com/

Global Biologics Lists Next Generation Sequencing Services On Genohub

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Genohub would like to welcome Global Biologics to the Genohub family. The sequencing services listed by Global Biologics has added more available options for researchers on the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

Global Biologics listed the following next generation sequencing instrument and Illumina library preparation options:

  • Instrument:
    • Illumina HiSeq paired end sequencing and single read sequencing options
  • Library prep:
    • Illumina DNA
    • Illumina DNA Hydroxymethylation
    • Illumina ChIP
    • Illumina Small RNA (microRNA)
    • Illumina Directional RNA (polyA-selected)
    • Illumina Bisulfite
    • Illumina Mate Pair (7-15 kb)

Global Biologics is a research & development service laboratory focused on clients performing discovery and applied research from academic, government, & private organizations. With experienced personnel and efficient molecular services, Global Biologics can aid scientists in advancing complex research studies.

The nucleic acid services offered by Global Biologics address common laboratory bottlenecks which are critical yet time consuming to perform. Specifically, Global Biologics has expertise in the following areas:

  • NGS Library construction & Sequencing (Illumina)
  • PCR based gene expression profiling and genotyping
  • Targeted Sequencing Applications (HiSeq) & Data Analysis
  • Nucleic Acid Isolation, QC and archive
  • Automation, scale up, and tech transfer

We are excited to include Global Biologic’s high throughput sequencing services on the Genohub instant matching engine.

4 Top Next Generation Sequencing Forums

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Forums offer a great opportunity to mind share with like minded professionals across the globe. They offer a vehicle to ask and potentially receive quick answers to just about any industry related question. Forums also offer a vehicle for collaboration and improved decision making by harnessing the power of the crowd. So which are the top next gen sequencing forums? These 4 were selected for having the largest number of active members discussing next gen sequencing specifically.

Top Next Generation Sequencing Forums

  1. Seqanswers: A top list of NGS forums would not be complete without SEQanswers. This forum is dedicated solely to this topic. Seqanswers was founded to be an information resource and user-driven community focused on all aspects of next-generation genomics.
  2. Nature Network: Nature Network is a professional networking website for scientists around the world. It is not dedicated specifically to next generation sequencing but they do have many members active on the subject. Nature is an online meeting place where you and your colleagues can gather, share and discuss ideas, and keep in touch. It’s also where you can consult the community for answers to scientific questions or offer your expertise to help others.
  3. The Science Advisory Board: This forum has as its mission to improve communications between medical and life science professionals and the companies who provide this community with products and services. To accomplish this mission, The Science Advisory Board conducts studies about the products and services NGS professionals currently use. Companies value this information and use it to improve existing products and services or to develop new ones that better meet the needs of their customers.
  4. LinkedIn: Little explanation required. Here are the top 3 forums (based on the number of members)

Forums can be an extremely valuable tool in a career involving next generation sequencing (or otherwise), enabling both researchers and NGS providers a fantastic way to collaborate and build relationships. Undoubtedly there are other great next gen sequencing forums out there. If you have any you would like to share we would love to here about it!

Wyzer Biosciences Lists Services On the Genohub Next Generation Sequencing Market

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Genohub would like to welcome Wyzer Biosciences to Genohub. The sequencing services listed by Wyzer will add more available options to the Genohub next generation sequencing market.

Wyzer listed next generation sequencing services for an Ion PGM 314 Chip.

Privately held, Wyzer Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is located in dynamic Cambridge, MA, the home of Harvard, MIT and many other world-class educational and biotech institutions. Through their expertise in molecular biology they provide services to partners and collaborators in industry and academia that will aid them in their ongoing research. We look forward to matching Wyzer with the most compatible high throughput sequencing projects for their lab.