Exonuclease Epigenetic Sequencing

Project Summary There is a current need within the field of next generation sequencingNGSfor newenabling instrumentationcapable of high accuracydirectnative DNA sequencingincluding the identification of canonical and modified bases and the correct characterization of homopolymer stretches and repeating sequencesDuring this programElectronic BioSciencesEBSand a team of field experts aim to solve the technical challenges associated with the development of a completely new and novel nanopore based sequencing platformincluding the associated methodology for sequencing DNA at the single nucleotide levelwith the capability of directly and correctly identifying chemically modified nucleotidesDuring this projectefforts will specifically focus on the high accuracy detection identification ofmethylcytosinemCand Nmethyladeninem Asequencingbefore pursuing other modificationsAt presentthe scientific community s understanding of theepigenomei ethe chemical modifications which regulate the function of DNAis still in its infancyWhile there are many known chemical modifications to either the base or sugar phosphate backbone of nucleic acidsdue to the lack of analytical characterization methods availablethe exact roles of these modifications remain to be assessedNew technologies capable of elucidating the roles of these modifications have the potential to revolutionize the use of the epigenomeFurthermorewith regards to homopolymer and repeat sequences of andgtnucleotides which are commonly found in genomesclinicians have identified that many of these sequences are expandedcontractedor mutated in cancersneurological disordersand heritable diseasesand thereforesequencing for changes in these regions has promising potential for utilization as routine genetic markers for diagnostics and prognostics purposesAt the conclusion of this Fast Track projecta multiplexed sequencing instrument that is ready for immediateexpandedinitial user base use in laboratory settings will be developed and builtand complete concept feasibility will have been demonstrated through both synthetic and genomic DNA sequencingincludingmC and m A characterization Project Narrative The direct sequencing of chemical modifications in the genome with high accuracy would facilitate an explosion of epigenetic sequencing data that has otherwise not been attainable to dateThusthe methodology technology that will be developed during this project has the potential to revolutionize the use and understanding of the genome and epigenomeMore long termthese results would better enable the use of epigenetic markers in clinical diagnostics and prognosticsprovide a deeper understanding of infectious diseasesallow cultivation of better cropsand advance our basic understanding of all domains of biologyin addition to empowering unforeseen fieldssuch as epigenomic diagnostics and therapeutics