Top 10 DNA Sequencing Services

In biotechnology, DNA sequencing includes all the techniques to determine the exact order of the nucleotides within a DNA strand. It can be applied to determine the sequence of small sequence of DNA, individual genes, larger genetic regions, full chromosomes or the entire genome. It is also an efficient way to sequence RNA or proteins and thus is a key technology in many fields such as molecular and evolutionary biology, medicine or forensics.

A large range of methods have been developed and DNA sequencing is constantly improved by new techniques.

Sanger Method Sequencing

One of the earliest sequencing method developed in the late 1970s by Frederick Sanger and his colleagues. It is based on the incorporation of chain-terminating dideoxynucleotides by DNA polymerase during the replication.

Sanger sequencing was the most used method from the 1980s to the mid-2000s. It produces high-quality sequences for long strands of DNA, up to 900 base pairs. It is widely applied for the sequencing of individual pieces of DNA like fragments like bacterial plasmid or fragments generated through PCR. However, the technique is expensive and impractical if you have a larger-scale project like sequencing an entire genome.

Next generation sequencing

Next generation sequencing refers to all the non-based Sanger method sequencing techniques developed. They are applied to genome sequencing, transcriptome profiling (RNA-Seq), DNA-protein interactions (ChIP-sequencing), and epigenome characterization.

The high demand for low-cost sequencing services has led to the development of high-throughput technologies by producing thousands of sequences in parallel. Thus, the sequencing is faster and cheaper than the Sanger method.

It often takes time to find the CRO which corresponds to your sequencing needs. Here you can find a selection of services which can be useful for you.