The purchase of a “third-generation” DNA sequencer will enable data collection and experimentation that would otherwise not be possible in a range of fields including genomics, molecular biology and neuroscience. Previous advances in DNA sequencing, where scientists determine the exact order of the chemical building blocks that make up a strand of DNA, have had profound impacts on basic and biomedical science. The new equipment, called the PacBio Revio Sequencer, will enable Princeton to play a leading role in adopting advanced DNA sequencing techniques. The PacBio has an accuracy of 99.9%, provides information on epigenetic modifications of DNA, and enables sequencing of DNA segments that are 100 times longer compared to existing sequencing technologies. These characteristics are currently unmatched by other commercially available equipment. The system’s combination of cost, power, simplicity and flexibility will serve the diverse user base at Princeton, and the machine will be accessible to all researchers on campus.

The proposal for this new equipment was submitted by Brittany Adamson, assistant professor of molecular biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, director of the undergraduate program in quantitative and computational biology and Richard B. Fisher Preceptor in Integrative Genomics, and Joshua Akey, professor in the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. The instrument will be housed in the Genomics Core facility in the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.

Story by By Alaina O’Regan