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Targeted sequencing with microfluidics

Nature Biotechnology volume 27, pages 998–999 (2009)Cite this article

Combining microdroplet PCR with flow-cell technologies provides a novel approach for sequencing thousands of genomic targets.

Sequencing targeted regions of DNA rather than complete genomes is likely to remain the preferred approach for most genomics applications, at least until the cost of whole-genome sequencing becomes competitive. In this issue, Tewhey et al.1 introduce a new method for targeted sequencing that exploits the capacity of microfluidic technology for multiplexed analysis on small amounts of sample. By coupling second-generation sequencing with PCR conducted in microdroplets, they demonstrate parallel characterization of thousands of targeted sequences. The technique has sufficient specificity and sensitivity for accurate genotyping and represents an attractive alternative to current methods2,3,4,5,6,7 for capturing genomic regions of interest.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ewen F. Kirkness is at the J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA.,

    Ewen F Kirkness

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  1. Ewen F Kirkness
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Correspondence to Ewen F Kirkness.

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Kirkness, E. Targeted sequencing with microfluidics. Nat Biotechnol 27, 998–999 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1109-998

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1109-998

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