U of I Dramatically Increases Genomic Sequencing Capacity
In June 2019, U of I was one of the first sites in the world to install the new PacBio Sequel II Genome Sequencer. The Sequel II is the latest development in third generation long read sequencing technology and represents a quantum leap in the quality and quantity of genomic data. PacBio’s new instrument can generate sequencing read lengths of up to 170 kilobases and up to 160 gigabases of information per run. This is roughly equivalent to sequencing over 50 human genomes. This new capacity allows U of I researchers to produce much higher quality and larger scale genome assemblies at a dramatically reduced cost.
The research applications of the PacBio Sequel II are numerous and diverse, including preparing DNA libraries from many different organisms, including bacterial pathogens, pipefishes and snails from the Galapagos Islands. The sequence data from these organisms will be used to address research questions in agriculture, evolutionary biology and biomedical research.
The Sequel II is housed in and operated by the Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies Genomics Resources Core and was purchased by a consortium organized by the Center for Modeling Complex Interactions.
