NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — Research teams at the University of Texas at Austin have acquired an Applied Biosystems' SOLiD System for use in wide-ranging studies at its Genome Sequencing and Analysis Facility, ABI said today.
Scientists at the school will use the system in medical diagnostics research, animal adaptation studies, biofuels programs, and behavioral genomics research.
The next-generation, high-throughput sequencing capacity will enable UT to catalog large genomes, conduct transcriptome analysis, and engage in targeted resequencing research, said the Life Technologies business.
One research team will use the system in comparative genomics studies of coral reefs to identify genetic differences between various species, with the goal of identifying the molecular mechanisms involved in how certain species acclimate and adapt to global climate change.
"We are currently moving on to gene expression analysis and whole-genome genotyping, using novel protocols based on next-generation sequencing technologies," said Mikhail Matz, an assistant professor of integrative biology who is involved in the coral project.
Another group will use the system to study the genetics of various species of algae that could be used to produce new biofuels. These researchers will seek useful SNPs and CNVs in the algae genome, as well as translocations and insertions and deletions, in order to learn how to convert biomass into biofuels.
Yet another team will conduct targeted resequencing studies in candidate genes in disease pathways.