Dan Geraghty, a researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and CEO of Scisco Genetics, has spent much of his career focused on the genetics of immune response. Recently he talked to Mendelspod host Theral Timpson as part of a series of podcasts on the rise of long-read sequencing.
In an interview with Theral Timpson — part of Mendelspod’s series on long-read sequencing — Ulf Gyllensten, a professor in Medical Molecular Genetics at Uppsala University, spoke about using PacBio technology for HLA typing, human genome studies, transcriptomics, and more.
Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing delivers reads that span the lengths of the majority of HLA class I and II genes. Unambiguously phase 4-field HLA types without imputation. With a more accurate and complete picture, gain deeper understanding of immune-related disease causality, graft-versus-host disease in hematopoietic transplantation, and drug hypersensitivity.
In order to understand the molecular mechanisms governing the outcomes of disease, health and survival, immunologists have to characterize exceptionally complex genomic regions, like major histocompatibility complex (MHC), killer cell immune receptors (KIR), and the B and T-cell immune repertoire. Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing delivers the long read lengths, uniform coverage and high accuracy necessary to comprehensively and confidently resolve these immune sub-genomic regions. The granularity of data generated by PacBio® reads provides new access to imputation-free characterization of genes and haplotypes for invaluable genomic insights to advance disease association and evolutionary research.
Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing directly detects DNA modifications by measuring variation in the polymerase kinetics of DNA base incorporation during sequencing. With high throughput, long reads, and the sensitivity to detect epigenetic modification without amplification or chemical conversions, the PacBio Systems offer scalable solutions for assessing DNA modifications in bacterial and eukaryotic genomes.
With PacBio long-read sequencing, scientists are making exciting new discoveries about the microbes that live around and within us. From viruses to bacteria to fungi, SMRT Sequencing is shedding light on how these organisms function and evolve.
Several new high-quality human genome assemblies produce ethnicity-specific reference sequences and show how scientists can use this genetic information to improve precision medicine studies in Asian sub- populations. These projects demonstrate how long- read SMRT Sequencing provides robust detection of polymorphic structural variants in clinically relevant gene coding regions and phases variants into haplotypes.
At the University of California, Davis, Dario Cantu is applying long-read PacBio sequencing to the heterozygous genome of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Now, his team has access to whole genome data that could help guard against the effects of climate change and disease.
To understand the genetic factors underlying health and disease and to address hidden heritability, scientists require a more comprehensive view of all the variations in the human genome. Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing delivers the read lengths, uniform coverage, and accuracy needed for accessing the complete size spectrum of sequence variant types — from single nucleotides to complex structural variants. PacBio’s long single-molecule reads also provide direct variant phasing information across full-length genes and chromosome haplotype blocks. With SMRT Sequencing, scientists gain new insight into the genetic basis of health and disease.
The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) is a leading Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) typing lab that focuses on monkeys. While many scientists are familiar with the importance of characterizing the histocompatibility region of the human genome for applications like disease research or tissue typing before organ transplantation, fewer are aware of the need to accurately type this region in non-human primates. At the primate research lab, part of the University of Wisconsin- Madison, scientists are analyzing immune regions to help test potential HIV vaccines and AIDS therapies. Their work is essential for understanding the effects of treatment ahead of…
To bring personalized medicine to all patients, cancer researchers need more reliable and comprehensive views of somatic variants of all sizes that drive cancer biology.
With Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing and the Sequel System, you can easily and cost effectively generate highly accurate long reads (HiFi reads, >99% single-molecule accuracy) from genes or regions of interest ranging in size from several hundred base pairs to 20 kb. Target all types of variation across relevant genomic regions, including low complexity regions like repeat expansions, promoters, and flanking regions of transposable elements.
Learn how Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) Sequencing and the Sequel II System and will accelerate your research by delivering highly accurate long reads to provide the most comprehensive view of genomes, transcriptomes and epigenomes.