The Beast is Here! ICBR Launches the NovaSeq 6000 DNA Sequencer

Dr. Steven Madore, ICBR Associate Director for Science and UFHCC Associate Director for Shared Resources, next to the new NovaSeq6000 (“the Beast“) with ICBR NGS Core Scientific Director Dr. David Moraga.

The ICBR NextGen DNA Sequencing Core provides cutting edge instrumentation and technical expertise required to support campus-wide research activites. Established in 1987, the NGS Core has contributed to significant scientific discoveries on campus. For example, did you know that the first fire ant genome was sequenced on ICBR instruments? And genomes from plants sent into space to study the effects of microgravity on plant biology have been decoded on ICBR sequencers?

DNA sequencing has evolved remarkably from the early days of single DNA molecule sequencing using radioactive tracers and large polyacrylamide gels, to sequencing millions of DNA fragments simultaneously in parallel on a flat glass “flow cell”.  To put things in perspective, the Human Genome Project, an international consortium of researchers whose goal was to sequence one human genome, began on October 1, 1990 and completed in April 2003 at a cost of almost 3 billion dollars.  With today’s modern sequencing technologies, ICBR can sequence several human genomes in 2 days for a few thousand dollars!

Consistent with the ICBR mission of providing cost-effective sequencing services to the UF campus, and through joint funding support of IFAS, UF Health Cancer Center, and the Office of Research, ICBR has recently acquired the latest version of NGS technology. The NovaSeq6000 from Illumina, Inc., the “Beast” of modern-day sequencers, is now fully operational in the ICBR NGS Core. This instrument has impressive capacity in terms of the amount of high-quality sequencing data generated over a short period of time, and in fact, has the capacity to fully sequence 48 human genomes in 48 hours! More importantly, the reduction in reagent and supply costs to run the Beast translates into very significant costs savings for the NGS, – up to 75% – a benefit directly passed down to the UF community in the form of reduced sequencing service fees.

“We are all very excited about adding the NovaSeq6000 instrument to the ICBR toolbox.” says Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul, ICBR Interim Director, “This technology, combined with the expertise of Dr. David Moraga and his NGS team, will enable ICBR to provide unparalleled genome sequence services to UF researchers. We are accustomed to ICBR delivering world-class, high quality sequencing, but the NovaSeq6000 takes it to an unprecedented level in terms of capacity and a highly competitive price point. The acquisition also represents a tremendous UF collaborative effort, as its purchase was made possible by support from the Office of Research, UFHCC, and IFAS.  As always, we look forward to being an integral part of new exciting discoveries in multiple disciplines across our campus, and now we have the tools to help explore even further.”

So if you would like to meet the “Beast,” please stop by ICBR or contact Dr. David Moraga at: ICBR-NextGenSeq@ad.ufl.edu

To see more of our services, visit: ICBR NextGen DNA Sequencing Services