Celebrating 5 Years of Sequencing
We are celebrating 5 years in business! We are so grateful to our clients worldwide who have helped us build our business and successfully hit the 5-year mark. Without your continued business, it would not have been possible to make it this far. Thank you.
Solution-Oriented Success
Five years ago, we started with a vision to make genome sequencing faster and more affordable for research labs big and small. Our CEO, Dr. Richard Casey, is a veteran in the genomics space and saw first-hand the challenges preventing researchers from obtaining the data they needed. We built our company around the foundation of listening and adapting to our client’s needs, then optimizing our business for their benefit.
2020 was indeed one of the most unprecedented years for the planet, but we persevered and stayed committed to supporting researchers during the most challenging year yet. Amidst the difficulties, we managed to expand our business offerings and build out additional resources to further support our clients.
Major Milestones
COVID-19 Research Support
When university and large research labs were forced to close or work in severely limited capacities due to safety precautions, we leveraged our small team size and automated workflows to help these institutions continue moving their critical research forward. The Sequencing Center is one of the nation’s leading HLA-typing sequencing centers and saw a massive influx of HLA-typing projects as publications began identifying correlations between HLA susceptibility in SARS-CoV-2.
Launched 3 Gene Panels
Although COVID-19 was the most discussed virus of the year, it did not mean all other genetic diseases suddenly went away. We launched three major gene panels for Alzheimer’s disease, Myeloid Leukemia, and kidney transplant research. These gene panels target the most common genes associated with their diseases and can additionally be modified for client-specific research.
Long-Read Sequencing
Last year we also announced The Sequencing Center’s ability to offer long-read sequencing with our new MinION sequencer from Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Long-read sequencing is providing greater accuracy for genome assembly and for identifying structural variants. We can offer both standalone long-read sequencing as well as hybrid assembly with long- and short-read sequencing.
DNA Concentration Protocol
One of the leading causes for project delays is samples failing to pass our initial quality control check for DNA concentration. To address this issue we validated and implemented a DNA concentration protocol to help low-concentration samples pass the initial QC steps. We now utilize this in many of our DNA extraction protocols. This protocol is also available online for all researchers to use in their own extractions. We have seen an 86% increase in samples passing QC after using this new protocol.
Supporting Researchers Everywhere
Our clients come from a range of industries, disciplines, and expertise levels. Sometimes there are gaps in genome sequencing knowledge and how to interpret the data for a researcher’s individual needs. We continue to update our Knowledge Base and Video Resources to help educate researchers about sequencing and empower them with the ability to understand their results.
Looking Forward to 5 more Years
Again, we can’t thank you enough for your continued business. We are committed to investing in the services that matter most for your research. As a gesture of appreciation, we are offering 5% off all sequencing runs from July 20th – August 24th, 2021. Simply mention this offer when you request a quote.
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