NovaSeqX Plus: short-read sequencing at the Centre for Genomic Research

DNA测序技术的连续进步推动了基因组学研究在过去十年或更长时间内的爆炸式发展，并已成为回答生物科学问题的重要工具。英国科学在基因组学的前沿有着令人羡慕的地位，但为了保持这一地位，它必须在新的DNA测序技术出现时进行投资。这里的建议是购买Illumina NovaSeqX Plus测序平台，这是DNA测序市场领导者的新机器，它使其以前的机器过时。它可以在48小时内产生16Tbp（16，000万亿个遗传密码），成本约为以前机器的三分之一。这使我们能够做更多更好的科学。基因组学实验现在更便宜，这使得更多的研究人员可以在他们的研究预算内使用这项技术。它允许研究人员进行更大的实验，有更多的样本，以给出更严格的结果。最后，它允许进行新的实验，否则将无法达到由于成本，其中包括看成千上万的基因是如何打开和关闭在数千个单独的细胞或深度序列DNA从复杂的社区细菌或病毒。该设备将被放置在中心基因组研究在利物浦大学，该公司在为英国社区提供基因组学专业知识和DNA测序方面有着良好的记录。它是英国大学内最大的测序设施，与许多设施不同，它支持许多非医学工作，使其特别适合支持BBSRC职权范围内的研究。它将用于一系列应用，包括作物改良，控制动物疾病，了解基础生物学和开发新方法或技术。它还将作为支持英国工业和保持大流行准备的基础设施。我们将通过提供实验设计建议、数据分析支持和基因组学培训讲习班，帮助用户获得这项技术。产生的DNA序列数据将通过公开的储存库提供给全世界的研究人员。我们的工作人员的职业生涯将得到更高的工作保障和技能发展的支持，这使我们能够保留他们重要的技术专长。该设备将使我们能够减少对环境的影响，因为它使用更少的塑料废物，降低试剂的运输成本，现在不再需要用干冰运输。该提案物有所值，因为（i）DNA测序比以前便宜得多，（ii）我们能够广泛提供服务，因此充分利用机器的能力，及（iii）我们能够在实验室内提供其他昂贵的设备，以有效地操作设备制备样本及处理数据。

Successive advances in DNA sequencing technology have driven an explosion in genomics research over the last decade or more and has become an essential tool to answer questions in bioscience more generally. UK science has an enviable place at the forefront of genomics but to maintain this position it is essential that it invests in new DNA sequencing technology as it emerges.The proposal here is to purchase an Illumina NovaSeqX Plus sequencing platform, which is a new machine from the market leader in DNA sequencing and which makes its previous machine obsolete. It can produce 16Tbp (16,000 trillion letters of genetic code) in the space of 48 hours and for around one third of the cost from the previous machine. This allows us to do more and better science. Genomics experiments are now cheaper, which allows more researchers to use the technology within their research budget. It allows researchers to perform bigger experiments that have more samples to give more rigorous results. Finally, it allows new experiments to be performed that would otherwise be out of reach due to cost, these include looking at the way thousands of genes are switched on and off across thousands of individual cells or to deep sequence DNA from complex communities of bacteria or viruses.The equipment will be placed in the Centre for Genomic Research at the University of Liverpool, which has a well-established track record in offering genomics expertise and DNA sequencing to the UK community. It is the largest sequencing facility within a UK university and, unlike many facilities, supports a lot of non-medical work, making it particularly well-suited to supporting research in the BBSRC remit. It will be used for a range of applications, including crop improvement, controlling animal disease, understanding fundamental biology and developing new methods or technologies. It will also act as infrastructure to support UK industry and to maintain pandemic preparedness.We will help users access the technology by providing advice on experimental design, support with data analysis and training workshops on genomics. The DNA sequence data produced be made available to researchers worldwide using publicly available repositories. The careers of our staff will be supported by increased job security and skill development, and this lets us retain their important technical expertise. The equipment will allow us to reduce our environmental impact because it uses less plastic waste and lower transport costs from reagents that now no longer have to be shipped on dry ice.The proposal is good value for money because (i) the DNA sequencing is much cheaper than previously, (ii) we able to offer the service widely, so making good use of the machine capacity, and (iii) we are able to provide other expensive equipment in our laboratory required to run the equipment effectively in preparing samples and processing data.