Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Evaluation of the SlicPrep 96 Device for Use in Extraction of Forensic Samples on the Biomek 2000 Laboratory Automation Workstation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Slicprep ™ 96 Device for extraction of forensic samples on the BioMek® 2000 robot to determine if it can further automate and increase the efficiency of the extraction process as well as generate optimal DNA yields with no contamination. This validation study was not as comprehensive as PBSO's validation of the BioMek® 2000, because the platform and reagents used were the same. The differences include the use of the Slicprep™ 96 Device during extraction and the slight modifications to protocol that were made to accommodate this device