The commercial introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 2005 ushered in a new biomedical research era by virtue of the technology’s ability to yield unprecedented DNA sequencing throughputs in a rapid and cost-effective manner. Eight years later, NGS is being increasingly applied as a molecular diagnostic tool in fields as diverse as oncology, infectious diseases, and inherited (genetic) disorders. NGS is transforming the diagnostic evaluation of genetic disorders by allowing for more comprehensive, personalized approaches. For example, multi-gene panels are being employed in a variety of genetic disorders wherein mutations in any one of a multiplicity of genes can result in overlapping signs and symptoms, and exome sequencing is being leveraged to identify causal and candidate genes in patients and families with undiagnosed disorders with genetic etiologies.
Presented by
Karl V. Voelkerding, MD
Professor, Department of Pathology, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah
Medical Director, Bioinformatics, Genomics, ARUP Laboratories
