After the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, scientists were looking for faster, cheaper, and more efficient sequencing methods than the Sanger Sequencing utilized in the 13-year project. In 2005, researchers at 454 Life Sciences (later acquired by Roche) developed the first Next-Generation Sequencing method called pyrosequencing. Since then, many other companies have developed their own Next-Generation Sequencing methods. The main Next-Generation Sequencing methods developed in the last two decades include a newer, improved pyrosequencing called Roche 454, Illumina’s Solexa Genome Analyzer series, and Ion Torrent sequencing. As scientists continue to develop newer and more efficient sequencing methods, it…
Comments closedTag: Genome Sequencing
Last week, I wrote about the potential of personalized medicine, and I briefly mentioned the role of genetic sequencing and the Human Genome Project (HGP) in making personalized medicine possible. This week, I want to delve a little deeper into what exactly goes into sequencing a genome. The HGP, which took 13 years to complete, was performed using a process known as Sanger sequencing. Sanger sequencing, invented in 1977 by Fred Sanger, is a laborious and costly process of sequencing. In the HGP, relatively tiny fragments of the human genome were sequenced multiple times and aligned together, piece by piece,…
Comments closed
The last few weeks, I have written about the complex molecular immunity mechanism of CRISPR and how we can harness it to precisely edit genes in a gamut of cells. But the ability of CRISPR to treat genetic disorders, predispositions, and susceptibilities relies on our understanding of the genetic basis of disease. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) in 2003, which sought to sequence the entire human genome, scientists have made great strides in connecting diseases and disorders with their genetic backgrounds. In the meantime, the invention of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in 2006 has drastically reduced…
Comments closed