GenoBiRD acquires the latest high-throughput sequencer generation

The inauguration of the NovaSeq 6000 high-throughput sequencer installed on our Genomics core facility (GenoBiRD*) will take place on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at the Institut de recherche en santé de l'Université de Nantes (IRS-UN).
Installed since May 2019, this complete massive sequencing system is at the forefront of technology. It offers the highest daily throughput of all sequencers currently on the market while allowing a very high flexibility of use.

Thanks to this new equipment, researchers will be able to deepen their knowledge of the molecular basis of many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and congenital forms of intellectual disability. This acquisition paves the way for new projects aimed at systematically characterizing genetic variations that modulate disease risk, elucidating cell by cell the key genes involved in the various stages of disease progression, and identifying populations of microorganisms that play a role in the protection or susceptibility of common diseases affecting in particular the digestive system or the respiratory tract.

"Until now, massive sequencing technologies have only been available to a limited number of specialized laboratories. This new system makes it possible to sequence entire genomes, identify all genes expressed by a cell population or even by a single cell, or characterize the mechanisms for regulating gene expression during development, all at moderate costs. It was therefore necessary for the Nantes scientific community to equip itself with this technology in order to maintain the excellence of its biomedical genomics research at the international level," emphasizes Richard Redon, Inserm researcher in charge of the GenoBiRD facility and Director of our research unit.

This equipment (nearly €1 million) has received significant funding from :

• the Pays-de-la-Loire Region,
• FEDER funds allocated by the European Union,
• Nantes Metropole,
• GIS IBiSA national, a structure supporting national technological infrastructures in biology and health,
• Inserm

* GenoBiRD is a member of the François-Bonamy Federal Health Research Structure (SFR-Santé) and is part of Biogenouest, an interregional network of technological platforms in life and environmental sciences.