Improving DNA Sequencing

SLU ID 19-028 | Target Enrichment by Enzyme Digestion

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a common method in biomedical research and clinical medicine. When sequencing an explicit target with a small percent volume (e.g., HIV in patient blood samples), NGS suffers from a significant shortcoming. Current target enrichment and capture sequencing processes are costly, tedious, and sometimes insufficient due to off-target effects. A current need in the industry is for a simplified process that minimizes these off-target effects.

Overview

Researchers at Saint Louis University have created a novel process for target enrichment utilizing enzyme digestion that simplifies the sequencing process and minimizes off-target effects and contamination.

Benefits

The potential benefits of this technology include:

• Minimizing the cost of sequencing DNA and RNA

• Increasing process efficiency when sequencing DNA and RNA

• Minimizing the tediousness of sequencing DNA and RNA

• Minimizing the number of process steps required to sequence DNA and RNA

• Minimizing off-target effects when sequencing DNA and RNA

• Minimizing contamination when sequencing DNA and RNA

• Increasing sensitivity of NGS methods

Applications

Potential applications of this technology include:

• Sequencing DNA

• Sequencing RNA

• Next generation sequencing

• High throughput sequencing

Opportunity

Saint Louis University is seeking partners to further develop and commercialize this technology.