HUNTSVILLE – Researchers at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will create genomic data at a scale beyond anything previously possible, thanks to a new PacBio Revio sequencing machine.
HudsonAlpha researchers are some of the first in the world to have access to the new DNA sequencing technology. The Revio will support much of the Institute’s Genome Sequencing Center work on plant, animal, and human sequencing projects. The machine is expected to be operational this month.
“With the number of existing and emerging long-read sequencing projects on the horizon, this new tool is much needed, and I don’t think it will be long before we need another,” said HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigator Dr. Jane Grimwood, Loretta Purdy Spencer Chair in Genomics and co-director of the Genome Sequencing Center.
The sequencer will help researchers find answers for children with undiagnosed disorders and expand the Institute’s ability to sequence and interpret plant genomes for food security, safety and long-term sustainability.
“This is truly cutting-edge technology, and we are eager to begin using this system to continue to learn about DNA in general, and specifically its power to help people, whether that is helping to understand the role of genetics in health or in producing food or biofuels,” Grimwood said.
According to PacBio, the Revio provides 15 times more data and uses fewer consumables and packaging than its predecessor, the PacBio Sequel IIe. It also includes a simplified workflow designed to make it easier to use in a lab setting.
“We can make a big impact when we scale genomics for breeding,” said Dr. Josh Clevenger, faculty investigator at HudsonAlpha. “It has been difficult to generate enough good quality genomes to understand variation.
“With the Revio system’s high throughput and high-quality reads, we will be able to quickly and cost-effectively look at genomes to identify traits.”
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