The Sequencing and Non-coding RNA Program, a service of the Center for Targeted Therapy, offers MD Anderson investigators cutting-edge, emerging technology and expertise in functional genomics for the discovery of new non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) and expression profiling for known ncRNAs to further their cancer research.

Primary Services

SOLiD™ System/Ion Proton
A “next generation” genome sequencing technology platform that provides broad applications for various forms of genome sequencing; gene expression, epigenetic and transcriptome profiling; and small RNA discovery. Applications include: whole genome sequencing; targeted genome re-sequencing; whole transcriptome, small RNA and mRNA expression sequencing and profiling; de novo sequencing; ChIP-sequencing; and epigenetic methylation sequencing and profiling. No other institution, at this time, is utilizing this technology as a service for its scientists.

ncRNA/miRNA Expression Array Profiling
Conducted on in-house microarray platforms and has the capacity to profile up to approximately 48 samples per week. The program’s director, Chang-gong Liu, Ph.D., developed the first-ever ncRNA/miRNA microarray platform.

Full-service support for all Affymetrix GeneChip® microarray technology including genome-wide mRNA expression profiling, SNP genotyping and ChIP-on-Chip, to name but a few. Turnaround time is approximately three-to-five days.

Support gene expression quantitation and the detection of SNPs utilizing the Applied Biosystems Fast Real-Time PCR System with a turnaround time of approximately two-to-three hours.

Within one hour, the program can provide quantification and analysis of DNA, RNA, proteins and cells with the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer and the Thermo Scientific NanoDrop™ 1000 Spectrophotometer.