A grant has been awarded to the University of Nebraska (UNL) to purchase a next generation high throughput DNA sequencing system. This type of system has the capacity to obtain over 1 billion base pairs of DNA sequence per analysis. This tremendous amount of genetic information accelerates research in genomics projects in all the life sciences research programs at Nebraska. In particular, a new NSF-funded program on understanding how changes in chromatin modifications (epigenetics) affect gene expression will be able to obtain larger amounts of data more quickly using this machine. Additional uses will be to determine mRNA structures and expression in green algae, as a potential source of biofuels; to extend research on chromatin modifications into corn for the purpose of improving drought tolerance; and, on improving the understanding of how dietary molecules can improve human health through specific signaling pathways and changes in chromatin modifications.
The range of new experimental opportunities provided by next generation high throughput sequencing systems is truly revolutionary. The high throughput sequencing capabilities will be integrated into student research projects and into UNL courses with an emphasis on facilitating the use of the technology by underrepresented minority and women graduate students. These fee-based services also will be broadly provided to the University of Nebraska campuses (UNL, UNMC, UNK and UNO), other universities, and local industry and organizations as well. The availability of such a critical genomics technology is also important for UNL?s recruiting of graduate and postdoctoral students as well as faculty.
