Services Core/facility: Keck Microarray Shared Resource

Long-read sequencing

About the services

The KMSR offers long-read sequencing solutions from Oxford Nanopore and PacBio. Compared to short-read sequencing technology, they provide the following advantages:

  • Long reads with no amplification.
  • Direct detection of epigenetic modifications on native DNA.
  • Direct sequencing through regions of the genome inaccessible or difficult to analyze by short-read platforms.
  • Uniform coverage of the genome as they are not as sensitive to GC content as short-read platforms.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies Long Read Sequencing System

Oxford Nanopore is a long-read sequencing technology that utilizes an ionic current through nanopores and measures the changes in current as biological molecules pass through the nanopore or near it. The information about the change in current can be used to identify that molecule. Currently YCGA supports one minION device and projects are typically customized to investigator’s specific needs, please contact Guilin Wang to discuss beginning a Nanopore project.

Applications

  • Long- or ultra-long read DNA sequencing: Due to the utilization of nanopores, read length is limited by the integrity of the DNA sample, with reads reported as large as 2.3Mb. Two library protocols exist for this application, one utilizes ligase to anneal the nanopore adapters resulting in libraries suitable for long-reads and the second adds adaptors by a transposase. This second method is utilized for the longest possible read lengths.
  • Epigenetics: Amplification is not a requirement for Nanopore library preparation. This both facilitates  long-read sequencing and preserves epigenetic features.
  • Targeted sequencing: These protocols use the CRISPR/Cas9 system for PCR-free enrichment of highly repetitive or long gene targets. This offers investigators the ability to focus their long-read sequencing without compromises associated with sequencing-by-synthesis.
  • Full-length cDNA & direct RNA sequencing: Full-length cDNA sequencing is recommended by Nanopore for those investigators who are interested in splice variants and fusion transcript analysis; with only a reverse-transcriptase step the material is minimally modified. For investigators that wish to directly sequence RNA without RT or PCR bias, RNA can be sequenced directly to preserve qualities such as modified bases. 

PacBio SMRT sequencing system

The Sequel II System provides the advantages of single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and now makes it more affordable for all scientists to drive discovery with comprehensive views of genomes and transcriptomes.

What are HiFi reads?

HiFi reads are produced using circular consensus sequencing (CCS) mode on PacBio long-read systems. HiFi reads provide base-level resolution with 99.9% single-molecule read accuracy.

HiFi reads can be used across a wide range of SMRT sequencing applications, from whole genome sequencing for de novo assembly, comprehensive variant detection, epigenetic characterization, RNA sequencing, and more.

How are HiFi reads generated?

Provides access to even more highly accurate long reads. Operates in two modes:

  • Circular consensus sequencing (CCS) mode to provide base-level resolution with >99% single-molecule read accuracy for the detection of all variant types from single nucleotide to structural variants.
  • Continuous long read (CLR) sequencing mode to enable high-quality assembly of even the most complex genomes. Expect half the data in reads >50 kb and the longest reads up to 175 kb.

Applications

  • Whole genome sequencing: De novo genome assembly
  • Targeted sequencing: No Amp targeted sequencing utilizes a CRISPR/Cas9 system
    • Eliminate PCR bias and errors
    • Sequence through entire repeat expansions with base-level resolution
    • Quantify repeat numbers in normal- and mutant-expanded alleles
    • Identify interruption sequences
    • Characterize somatic mosaicism
  • RNA sequencing
    • Discover new genes, transcripts and alternative splicing events
    • Improve genome annotation to identify gene structure, regulatory elements, and coding regions
    • Increase the accuracy of RNA-seq quantification with isoform-level resolution
  • Epigenetics
    • Single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing directly detects epigenetic modifications by measuring kinetic variation during base incorporation.
    • By capturing these modifications simultaneously with sequence data, this method eliminates the need for special sample preparation and additional sequencing.

Available to Yale researchers & external researchers

Specifications

Sample submission

Please contact Guilin Wang or Evelyn Ng with Nanopore or PacBio service requests.

PacBio sample requirements

Ensure all samples are shipped in dry ice and are clearly labeled. Pacific Biosciences recommends re-suspending your samples in either water or 10 mM Tris-HCl. Please see the table and list below for additional DNA quantity and quality requirements and recommendations.

Sequencing applicationMinimum quantity needed (per library)
250 bp – 3 Kb insert library preparation250 ng – 2 µg
3–10 Kb insert library preparation2 µg – 5 µg
10 –20 Kb insert library preparation10 µg – 20 µg

Recommended characteristics of DNA suitable for single-molecule sequencing

  • Minimum DNA quality: OD 260/280 and OD 260/230 should be 1.8–2.0
  • Must be double-stranded. Single-stranded DNA will not be made into a SMRT cell template in the template preparation process and can interfere with quantitation and polymerase binding.
  • Has undergone a minimum of freeze-thaw cycles.
  • Has not been exposed to high temps (>65°C for more than one hour can cause a detectable decrease in sequence quality).
  • Has not been exposed to pH extremes (<6 or >9).
  • Does not contain insoluble material.
  • Does not contain RNA.
  • Has not been exposed to intercalating fluorescent dyes or ultraviolet radiation.
  • Does not contain chelating agents (e.g., EDTA), divalent metal cations (e.g., Mg2+), denaturants (e.g., guanidinium salts, phenol), or detergents (e.g., heme, humic acid, polyphenols).

Rates

As of 7/1/24

Nanopore
ServiceYale userNon-Yale user
Nanopore library prep$607$855
Nanopore sequencing (one flow cell)$1,933$2,681
PacBio
ServiceYale userNon-Yale user
PacBio library prep$459$631
PacBio SMRTCell Sequencing$1,625$2,170
PacBio IsoSeq cDNA Prep$260$361
PacBio Kinnex library prep$918$1,218
Data analysis$340$497

Invoicing and payment

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