Australia
September 9, 2010
Australia’s first Roche GS Junior ‘Next Generation’ DNA sequencer, recently installed at the Western Australia State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (SABC) at Murdoch University, Western Australia, is set to revolutionise agricultural research.
SABC Director, Professor Mike Jones said next generation sequencing was, effectively, biotechnology meeting nanotechnology.
Significantly, researchers could now obtain and map the complete sequence of genes (the genome) of a range of new organisms.
“Not only that, but changes in gene expression and controlling sequences can now be studied at the same time,” Professor Jones said.
Although there are two of the GS Junior’s ‘big brothers’ in Perth, they are dedicated to medical research and each run is much more expensive.
The GS Junior is the first of its type designed for general laboratory use, rather than being located in specialist sequencing centres.
Frances Brigg SABC operation GS Junior
In just 10 hours the GS Junior generates 35 million DNA bases of sequence, in reads of 400 to 500 bases, or about 100,000 sequences. This is more than 100 times faster than the previous capillary DNA sequencing technology at the SABC.
Its built-in data processing allows a complete bacterial genome to be assembled in less than 15 minutes and larger sized genomes in about two hours. Such cost-effective genome analysis is ideal for applications in agricultural R&D.
“Remarkably versatile, the GS Junior at the SABC will be used initially to study genomes of crop diseases and pests, such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and insects, plus in plant breeding to identify new genes for crop traits,” Professor Jones said.
SABC is committed to offering advanced technologies and scientific analysis services as part of a vibrant hub of science, technology and innovation focused on increasing the competitiveness of Australia’s grains industry through improved productivity.
WA is Australia’s largest grain producing state, accounting for about 40 per cent of production and 50 per cent of exports.
SABC’s GS Junior ‘Next Generation’ DNA sequencer will be used in other projects at Murdoch University, including those from the School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, ranging from sequencing ancient DNA, plant and animal taxonomy, characterising the mitochondrial genomes of parasitic, eel-like lampreys and in veterinary parasitological research.
According to SABC Manager, Dr David Berryman, researchers were very excited that such advanced equipment had been installed and, with operators now trained, they were anxious to begin accessing the GS Junior.
“While this is the fourth DNA sequencer SABC has purchased in 20 years, applying nanotechnology in the GS Junior has revolutionised genomic sequencing and will completely change almost all research activity in this field,” Dr Berryman said.
SABC is WA’s collaborative university centre for R&D in agricultural and veterinary biotechnology, providing platform technologies and world class equipment and facilities to researchers from universities, state government and industry.
More than 20 research groups and companies rent space and use SABC facilities.
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