As prices continue to drop and technology continues to improve, the purchase of a next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform is now a reality for most research laboratories. Once you have purchased a platform, however, how do you maximize the greatest potential for your investment? Realizing this potential requires efficient workflow strategies, careful experimental design, comprehensive targeted enrichment technologies, data analysis, management and integration, in addition to maintaining your platform and people management all at maximum production. The central theme at CHI's Sequencing Strategies for Success conference is efficient utilization of your NGS platform. Sessions will focus on common bottlenecks, case studies, real-world experiences and solutions from experienced NGS users.

Day 1 | Day 2 

Monday, August 19

8:30 am Short Course Registration and Morning Coffee

1:00 Main Conference Registration

Sequencing Centers 

2:00 Chairperson's Opening Remarks

2:10 Sequencing: Wonderful Adventure or Terrible Tragedy? 

Lisa D. White, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine  Biography 

2:40 Translational Science: From Basic Research to Genomic Medicine in an Academic Core Laboratory – Lessons Learned

Nicholas P. Ambulos, Jr., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology; Executive Director, School of Medicine Core Facilities; Director, Genomics Core Facility, University of Maryland School of Medicine  Biography 

Next-generation sequencing technology continues to improve and become more cost-effective. Academic core laboratories have played a significant role in making this technology readily available to basic research laboratories. As a result, this technology is rapidly becoming the diagnostic tool of choice for many clinicians. The challenge we now face is how these academic core laboratories can provide comprehensive support to basic research, translational studies and clinical diagnostics and play a role in educating healthcare professionals.

3:10 An Overview of the New York Genome Center

Kevin V. Shianna, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Sequencing Operations, New York Genome Center  Biography 

The NYGC initiated its sequencing operations in early 2012 and is building out to be one of the largest genome centers in North America. An overview of our experience to date will be presented along with future goals and challenges.

3:40 Refreshment Break

4:00 Combining Forces: Using All NGS Platforms to Advance Cancer Research at CGR

Joseph Boland, Director, Research and Development, Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health  Biography  

With the continual reduction in instrument costs and comparable quality metrics, the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory (CGR) has put in place a combined approach to cancer research utilizing our Ion Proton/PGMs in conjunction with our Illumina HiSeqs/Miseqs. Our presentation will highlight comparative experiments between Illumina and Life instruments, the current wet-lab processes using this combined approach—such as our combined exome, exome follow-up and transcriptome pipelines—and how we see this impacting our future research.

4:30 Sequencing at Jackson Laboratory

Yijun Ruan, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Genome Sciences, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

5:00 Technology Spotlight (Sponsorship Opportunity Available)

5:15 Panel Discussion with Afternoon Speakers

While next-generation sequencing platforms are increasingly affordable and enormously useful for research laboratories and for understanding the basis of disease diagnosis, thoughtful strategies are necessary to maximize their benefits. In this panel discussion, representatives from nationwide sequencing centers share their processes, research needs, challenges and goals in using NGS technologies.

Panelists:

Lisa D. White, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine

Nicholas P. Ambulos, Jr., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology; Executive Director, School of Medicine Core Facilities; Director, Genomics Core Facility, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Kevin V. Shianna, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Sequencing Operations, New York Genome Center

Joseph Boland, Director, Research and Development, Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

Yijun Ruan, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Genome Sciences, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

5:45 Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall

6:45 Close of Day

Day 1 | Day 2