ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University acquires new third-generation DNA sequencing technology, first in Midwest
Revolutionary system will accelerate research timelines
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University acquires new third-generation DNA sequencing technology, first in Midwest
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics (CBFG) has become one of the first institutions in the region to acquire the PacBio VEGA Benchtop System — a cutting-edge DNA sequencer currently found in only 20 laboratories nationwide.
This revolutionary acquisition — installed and certified operational on March 20 — not only slashes research wait times from months to days but also positions ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's undergraduates for an unprecedented hands-on experience with technology typically reserved for major research institutions.
The VEGA system is a third generation DNA sequencing technology enabling the sequencing of much larger DNA fragments compared to earlier methods. It can. dramatically accelerate research timelines,such as reducing the wait for DNA sequencing from three to four months to just two to three days for a complete human genome. This leap in efficiency opens new possibilities for time-sensitive research projects and allows ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú researchers to pursue more ambitious projects.
“These are the kind of technological advances that allow us to ask questions we didn’t even know to ask,” said Andor Kiss, director of the center, highlighting the potential of the new instrument. The center provides tools for preparing DNA samples for research and for determining the sequence of these DNA samples.
Funding for the $170,000 VEGA instrument was made possible with support from the College of Arts and Sciences; the Department of Biology; the Department of Microbiology; Department of Biological Sciences; and the CBFG.
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú researchers have already planned several innovative projects utilizing the VEGA system. Zheng Li, assistant professor of Biology and director of the Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium, intends to sequence and build chromosome-level genomes of plant and insect species. Meanwhile, Rock Mancini, assistant professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, plans to use the instrument to develop more effective immunotherapies for multidrug-resistant cancers.
The VEGA acquisition also creates exceptional educational opportunities. Kiss, also an adjunct assistant professor of Biology, plans to reintroduce an advanced molecular biology laboratory course in fall 2025, last offered in 2014, giving students hands-on training with this new technology that could lead to producing publishable research.
“It’s really what separates and makes ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú unique,” Kiss noted about bringing advanced technology directly into undergraduate research experiences.
According to Kiss, the system’s $1,100 per-run operating cost — $500 less than the university’s existing Illumina MiSeq system — will make it more accessible to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú researchers and graduate students applying for in-house grants.
The VEGA instrument complements two other DNA sequencing technologies already available at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. Each has distinct strengths for different research applications, but what makes the VEGA unique is its ability to sequence large DNA fragments at once, producing more complete and accurate datasets.
Historically, long reads have been very low quality … What PacBio has been able to do in the past four or five years is improve the method of data acquisition so they have improved the quality,” Kiss explained. “They have managed to figure out how to use a technology that is inherently inaccurate and improve its accuracy so you get high fidelity long reads.”
DNA sequencing — the ability to read the four bases of DNA that encodes the biological information cells use to function — has profound implications for disease prevention and treatment, organ transplant transportation, and even understanding how human bodies might fare during space travel. The VEGA system’s capabilities put ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú at the forefront of this critical field.