Nat Methods: Scientists have developed a new method that could enable portable PCR sequencers to achieve near-perfect accuracy

JANUARY 18, 2021 // -- In a recent study published in the international journal Nature Methods, scientists from the University of British Columbia and others found a simple way to eliminate almost all sequencing errors caused by widely used portable DNA sequencer, helping scientists working outside the lab to more effectively study and track pathogenic microorganisms such as SARS-CoV-2.
using special molecular markers, the researchers were able to reduce the error rate of 5 to 15 percent of the MinION devices produced by Oxford Nanoconforum Technologies to less than 0.005 percent, even when sequencing multiple long strands of DNA.
researcher Professor Ryan Ziels said MinION had revolutionized the field of genomics by freeing DNA sequencing from the limitations of large laboratories.
, but until now, researchers could not rely on the device in many cases because of the high rate of "out-of-the-box" errors.
Photo Source: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Genome Sequencing reveals a wide range of information about an organism, including its identity, ancestors, strengths, and weaknesses; scientists can use this information to better understand microbes living in specific environments and develop diagnostic tools and therapeutic tools; however, without accurate portable DNA sequencer, it is easy for scientists to ignore key genetic details when conducting research in the field or in small laboratories. In this
study, researchers developed a special barcode system that, like MiniON devices, can improve the accuracy of long-read DNA sequencing platforms by more than 1,000 times, and when using these barcodes to label targeted molecules, the researchers used standard PCR techniques to amplification or manufacture multiple copies of labeled molecules, as well as sequence the resulting DNA.
The researchers then used the barcode system to easily identify and group relevant PCR fragments in sequencing data, resulting in near-perfect sequences that were about 10 times longer than traditional techniques, and longer DNA lengths that detected minor genetic mutations and allowed for high-resolution assembly of the genome. Ziels, a
researcher, says the advantage of this approach is that it works for any gene fragment that can be amplified, which means it is very effective in any area that combines valuable high-accuracy and long-range genomic information, such as cancer research, plant research, human genetics research, and microbiome research.
Researchers now hope to develop an extended approach through joint research that will enable real-time detection of microorganisms in drinking water and wastewater, and that by gaining insight into microorganisms in water systems, communities may be able to improve their public health strategies and treatment techniques, as well as better control the spread and spread of harmful pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2.
() Originals: Karst, S.M., Ziels, R.M., Kirkegaard, R.H. et al. High-accuracy long-read amplicon sequences using unique molecular identifiers with Nanopore or PacBio sequencing. Nat Methods (2021). doi：10.1038/s41592-020-01041-y