Bioinformatics and NGS
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies offer high-throughput, rapid and accurate methods of determining the precise order of nucleotides within DNA/RNA molecules. Since the advent of modern sequencing techniques, identification of nucleic acid sequences has become a ubiquitous and essential tool across all areas of biological science. Correspondingly, the field of bioinformatics is central to the interpretation and application of this biological data. Using mathematical and statistical methods implemented by a wide range of programmatic languages, bioinformatics tools organise, analyse and interpret biological information at the molecular, cellular and genomic level. The combined power of NGS and bioinformatics is vital for diagnostics, medical treatment and epidemiological research. The NGS/Bioinformatics core facility was established in 2016 to cater for growing demands in NGS analyses at the NIBSC.
Our team of sequencing scientists and bioinformaticians provide end-to-end support in all stages of sequencing experiments: from experimental design through to final analysis. We collaborate with groups in every scientific division across the NIBSC, with projects ranging from validation of SNPs in individual genes to viral/bacterial whole genome sequencing to transcriptomics.
Our work
Next Generation Sequencing
We undertake all NGS projects within the institute. Most commonly these include:
- DNAseq - whole genome, amplicons, de novo assembly, targeted re-sequencing
- RNAseq - transcriptomics, mRNA, small RNA
- Metagenomics - 16S
Equipment
Illumina MiSeq
- Read length up to 2 x 300 bp
- Up to 25M reads per run
- Turnover time for small projects as fast as 9 hours run time
- Applications – Viral/bacterial genome, targeted re-sequencing
Illumina NextSeq 500
- Read length up to 2 x 150bp
- Up to 400M reads per run
- Turnover time for large projects (human genome) in less than 30 hours
- Applications – Eukaryotic whole genome, exome, transcriptomics, metagenomics, high-throughput, highly multiplexed samples
Bioinformatics
Besides generating NGS, we provide rigorous bioinformatic analyses individually tailored to each project. Utilising best practice techniques, the latest analyses and bespoke statistically robust methods, we apply computational methods to answer a large range of biological questions. Although sequencing bioinformatics is our primary computational role, we also work with data generated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, light microscopy and electron microscopy experiments on our high-performance computing cluster.
The support we offer includes;
- Experimental design – Providing advice on factors such as biological and technical replicates as well as depth of sequencing coverage to ensure that results obtained are statistically meaningful.
- Analysis – Finding significance in biological data using existing bioinformatics tools as well as developing custom solutions. The work we provide includes; identification of SNPs, differentially expressed gene analysis, de novo assembly of genomes and metagenomics.
- Presentation – Providing custom publication standard graphics to present analysis results.
Equipment
We use over 100 pieces of software and close to 500 different software libraries to provide the best and most appropriate analyses. The core facility is committed to maintaining a comprehensive and up- to-date catalogue of software, backed by peer-reviewed journal articles. These analyses are run on our high-performance computing cluster that combines the best of on-site and cloud resources.
Combination
It is the combination of both, high quality wet-lab NGS service and cutting edge, statistically robust bioinformatics working in unison that gives our collaborating groups in NIBSC the highest level of scientific support.
Our research interests
As a core facility within the NIBSC our aim is to optimise the sequencing process for applications in the development of biological standards and applied biological research.