At the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, scientists use automated DNA sizing together with long- read sequencing to analyze human samples, conduct routine surveillance on microbes, and more.
Scientists from WashU, Macrogen, and Mount Sinai are using long-read sequencing with single-molecule, next-generation genome mapping to create gold-quality de novo assemblies of human genomes. Unbiased de novo assembled genomes also highlight the substantial amount of structural variation unique to individuals and populations, which cannot be accessed by short-read technologies that use a reference-based re-sequencing approach.
Ulf Gyllensten from Uppsala University used SMRT Sequencing to study multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Time to results was faster than other NGS platforms and generally resulted in complete genome assemblies, even for an organism with a 70% AT-rich genome. He also applied SMRT Sequencing for the characterization of HPV subtypes, important in cervical cancer.
In this AGBT talk, Mount Sinai’s Eric Schadt uses PacBio sequencing on human genomes and reports finding uncharacterized structural variation that could have diagnostic utility. Schadt says that SMRT sequencing is advantageous for long-range genetic information, extreme GC content, and highly repetitive regions. He presents sequence data for a CEPH individual studied for repeat expansions, showing that long reads can resolve the majority of these regions.
This documentary film features the wave of cutting-edge technologies that now provide the opportunity to create predictive models of living systems, and gain wisdom about the fundamental nature of life itself. The potential impact for humanity is immense: from fighting complex diseases such as cancer, enabling proactive surveillance of virulent pathogens, and increasing food crop production.
Melissa Laird Smith discussed how the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai uses long-read sequencing for translational research. She gave several examples of targeted sequencing projects run on the Sequel System including CYP2D6, phased mutations of GLA in Fabry’s disease, structural variation breakpoint validation in glioblastoma, and full-length immune profiling of TCR sequences.
Lon Cardon, Chief Scientific Officer at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, explores the role genome sequencing, population-level data and gene editing tools in the drug development process.
Secondary kinase domain (KD) mutations are the most well-recognized mechanism of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and other cancers. In some cases, multiple drug resistant KD mutations can coexist in an individual patient (“polyclonality”). Alternatively, more than one mutation can occur in tandem on a single allele (“compound mutations”) following response and relapse to sequentially administered TKI therapy. Distinguishing between these two scenarios can inform the clinical choice of subsequent TKI treatment. There is currently no clinically adaptable methodology that offers the ability to distinguish polyclonal from compound mutations. Due to the size of…
PacBio 2014 User Group Meeting Presentation Slides: Anne Deslattes Mays of Georgetown University discussed how PacBio provided the necessary full-length isoform information to allow characterization of isoform distribution by sub-cell population.
2015 SMRT Informatics Developers Conference Presentation Slides: Ali Bashir of Mount Sinai School of Medicine discussed methods for characterizing structural variation in human genomes across a variety of coverage levels.