Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

10:00
An Ultrahigh-throughput Microfluidic Platform for Single-cell Genome Sequencing
Published on: May 23, 2018
New insights from existing sequence data: generating breakthroughs without a pipette.
Alex M Plocik1, Brenton R Graveley
1Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
Molecular Cell
|February 27, 2013
Summary
Analyzing existing sequencing data is crucial for discovering biological phenomena and gene expression mechanisms. Researchers must address technical and bioinformatic challenges in these massive datasets.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- The cost of data generation is rapidly declining, leading to massive datasets in molecular biology.
- Analysis of existing data is becoming increasingly important for scientific discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss resources for publicly available sequencing data.
- To explore the interrogation of gene expression mechanisms using existing data.
- To highlight challenges and breakthroughs in analyzing large sequencing datasets.
Main Methods:
- Review of publicly available sequencing data resources.
- Discussion of technical and bioinformatic artifacts in next-generation sequencing data.
- Case studies of breakthroughs from analyzing existing data, particularly in the RNA field.
Main Results:
- Identification of key resources for gene expression mechanism studies.
- Detailed discussion of artifacts impacting data analysis.
- Examples of significant discoveries derived from re-analyzing existing datasets.
Conclusions:
- The analysis of existing sequencing data is a powerful approach for advancing molecular biology.
- Addressing data artifacts is essential for reliable insights.
- Past successes underscore the potential for future discoveries through data re-analysis.
Related Concept Videos
Next-generation Sequencing
The first human genome sequencing project cost $2.7 billion and was declared complete in 2003, after 15 years of international cooperation and collaboration between several research teams and funding agencies. Today, with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, the cost and time of sequencing a human genome have dropped over 100 fold.
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features.
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features.
Sanger Sequencing
DNA sequencing is a fundamental technique that is routinely used in the biological sciences. This method can be applied to a range of questions at different scales - from the sequencing of a cloned DNA fragment or the study of a mutation in a gene up to whole-genome sequencing. However, despite the widespread use of sequencing today, it was not until 1977 that Fredrick Sanger and his collaborators developed the chain-termination method to decode DNA sequences. It relies on the separation of a...
Maxam-Gilbert Sequencing
In the same year as the discovery of the Sanger sequencing method, another group of scientists, Allan Maxam and Walter Gilbert, demonstrated their chemical-cleavage method for DNA sequencing. The Maxam-Gilbert method relies on using different chemicals that can cleave the DNA sequence at specific sites, the separation of resulting DNA fragments of variable size using electrophoresis, and deciphering the DNA sequence from the resulting gel bands.
Challenges of the Maxam-Gilbert Method
The...
Challenges of the Maxam-Gilbert Method
The...

