Oxford Nanopore will be at SUNY Oswego's Syracuse Campus on Oct. 10 and 11 for biomedical informatics faculty and student training and to discuss DNA/RNA sequencing technology.
In their own terms, “DNA and RNA are molecules that are present in all living things. DNA contains an organism’s genetic code, the instructions for building and operating an organism. RNA is primarily a messenger molecule, carrying instructions from the DNA code to control the synthesis of proteins –- the building blocks of organisms. Sequencing is the process of identifying the order of ‘bases’ on a molecule of DNA or RNA. This is called a ‘sequence.’ This sequence data can answer a range of biological questions such as ‘What is it?’ or ‘Is it healthy or diseased?’ Oxford Nanopore makes a novel generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology that provides rich data and is fast, accessible and easy to use. Our goal is to disrupt the way that biological analyses are currently performed, and open up new applications that have a profound, positive impact on society.”
Some of their presentations are open to all who may be interested, either on-site in Syracuse or online.
These are:
- Tuesday, Oct. 10: 10 a.m. to noon; Introduction to Nanopore Sequencing Seminar
- Wednesday, Oct. 11: 11 a.m. to noon: Data Analysis Seminar
The same Zoom link will work for both: https://oswego-edu.zoom.us/j/94671644556
About Oxford Nanopore
Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology. It is the only sequencing technology that offers real-time analysis (for rapid insights), in fully scalable formats from pocket to population scale, that can analyze native DNA or RNA and sequence any length of fragment to achieve short to ultra-long read lengths.
All Oxford Nanopore sequencing devices use flow cells which contain an array of tiny holes — nanopores — embedded in an electro-resistant membrane. Each nanopore corresponds to its own electrode connected to a channel and sensor chip, which measures the electric current that flows through the nanopore. When a molecule passes through a nanopore, the current is disrupted to produce a characteristic ‘squiggle’. The squiggle is then decoded using basecalling algorithms to determine the DNA or RNA sequence in real-time.
Outside scientific research, DNA/RNA information can be used to support ‘real life’ decision-making, whether that is in healthcare, industrial or other environments. Some of these sectors are regulated, such as in healthcare and food safety. As well as providing devices for lab-based testing, Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing technology is uniquely deployable in distributed, near-sample settings, delivering rapid, data-rich insights. The goal is to open up new applications that have a profound, positive impact on society, by providing a new generation of accessible technology. This technology is starting to be used in applied markets, in some cases where users of the technology have pursued their own regulatory clearance of the application.
-- Submitted by the Biomedical Health and Informatics Program