This technology is a method of sequencing DNA and RNA that combines ion sensing with nucleotide reversible terminators (NRTs).
DNA sequencing is vital to modern biology and is used increasingly in medicine. However, the cost of whole genome sequencing is still far too high to become a routine tool in medicine and research. “Sequencing by synthesis” (SBS), in which an unknown sequence of single-stranded DNA is used to template the synthesis of a new strand of DNA to deduce its sequence, provides a promising cost-effective approach for whole genome sequencing. Most current methods employ fluorescently labeled nucleotide reversible terminators (NRTs) that are designed to temporarily block the addition of the next nucleotide, enabling DNA sequencing through an iterative process of nucleotide incorporation. However, these methods require expensive reagents and imaging systems that greatly increase the cost of sequencing.
This technology is a DNA and RNA sequencing method that combines two SBS technologies, ion sensing and NRTs, to greatly reduce the cost of sequencing. Semiconductor ion sensors can detect the H+ ion that is released when a nucleotide is incorporated into a DNA or RNA chain but cannot distinguish between the addition of one nucleotide and multiple additions of the same nucleotide. This technology solves this problem by utilizing NRTs that block repeated additions of the same nucleotide during DNA/RNA synthesis, allowing time for each new nucleotide to be detected by the ion sensor. After each nucleotide addition, synthesis is resumed by removing the blocking chemical group on the incorporated NRT. As such, this technology provides an inexpensive, efficient method for DNA and RNA sequencing with reduced error rates.
IR 2864
Licensing Contact: Cynthia Lang