Blog
October 9, 2014
New Brain Study Reveals Higher Molecular Diversity from Alternative Splicing
A new paper from scientists in Switzerland and the US adds to recent findings about diversity of neuronal transcripts in the mammalian brain. The authors report that this study was…
October 6, 2014
‘The Quality of PacBio Data Is Beyond Compare’: Eric Schadt on Applications of SMRT Sequencing to Human Genetics
As part of its continuing series on long-read sequencing, last week Mendelspod aired an engaging interview with Eric Schadt, Professor & Chair of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Director of…
October 2, 2014
‘We’re Going to Find the Keys’: Dan Geraghty Discusses an Approach to Understanding Causal Genetic Variation
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…
September 30, 2014
New Papers Detail Complexity of Methylome-Related Virulence in Human Pathogens
In two new publications, one published today, scientists from Australia, Italy, the UK, and the US report critical and surprising new findings about DNA methylation-related complexity of bacteria. Adding to…
September 23, 2014
Science Perspective: “Tracking Antibiotic Resistance”
In the current issue of Science there is an interesting Perspective by Scott Beatson and Mark Walker of the University of Queensland discussing research published this week in Science Translational…
September 22, 2014
Maryland Scientists Produce High-Quality, Cost-Effective Genome Assembly of Loa loa Roundworm Using SMRT Sequencing
A paper just released in BMC Genomics details what authors call “the most complete filarial nematode assembly published thus far at a fraction of the cost of previous efforts.” The…
September 17, 2014
NIH Study: Finished Genomes Provide Actionable Data to Combat Spread of Drug-Resistant Bacteria
A study launched over concerns around hospital-acquired infections has led to a recommendation for better microbial screening of patients upon admission. The research, from scientists at several NIH institutes, found…
September 11, 2014
The Rise of Long Reads: Mendelspod Podcast Series
Mendelspod host Theral Timpson kicked off a new podcast series this week on long-read sequencing that will include interviews with luminaries in the genomics field. Check out this introductory article…
September 9, 2014
Genome Analysis of Unicellular Organism Reveals Frequent, Massive Reshuffling
A recent publication from senior author Laura Landweber at Princeton University offers a remarkable and unexpected look at sweeping genomic rearrangements in a unicellular organism. “The Architecture of a Scrambled…
August 18, 2014
Genome-Wide Methylation in Human Microbiome Samples
Scientists in Florida and Finland recently published a report of their work studying methylation patterns in two human microbiome samples. While microbiome studies have become quite popular, the authors note…
August 6, 2014
Plant and Animal Genomes: New Web Resource Available
After so many compelling customer projects for microbial genomes, it’s been rewarding to see more scientists turning to Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing for larger genomes, such as plants and…
July 29, 2014
Novel Study of Genome-wide PT Modifications in Bacteria Performed with SMRT Sequencing
A recent paper from scientists in China and the United States demonstrates a novel view of phosphorothioate (PT) DNA modifications in two bacterial genomes. Scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University,…
July 22, 2014
At ISMB, Gene Myers’ Keynote Offers History, Future of Genome Assembly
At ISMB 2014 in Boston earlier this month, Gene Myers of the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, presented a keynote address entitled “DNA Assembly: Past, Present, and…
July 11, 2014
ISMB 2014: The World Cup of Bioinformatics
We’re eager for the #ISMB conference — it’s the 22nd annual Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology event — kicking off this weekend in Boston. As we continue to push our…
July 9, 2014
Optimizing Eukaryotic De Novo Genome Assembly: Webinar Recording Available
Our webinar on eukaryotic genome assembly attracted a great crowd, and now we’re making the full recording available to the community. The session featured great hands-on information and best practices…