The Desert Southwest Genomics Center is a sequencing facility at Arizona State University offering scientists and researchers within ASU and worldwide the opportunity to perform a full range of genomic applications, such as Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), RNA sequencing (including options for poly(A) selection, ribosomal depletion, and degraded/FFPE RNA), library preparation of ChIP samples, de novo sequencing, metagenomics sequencing, single-cell sequencing and traditional Sanger sequencing (Sanger sequencing capabilities will no longer be offered starting May 2026).
All next generation sequencing applications are performed on the Illumina platform with the MiSeq and NextSeq instruments, using the principle of “sequencing by synthesis," to generate millions of sequence fragments that can then be assembled into a genome, transcriptome, exome or amplicon library as relevant. The two sequencers in the core provide data output ranging from 1 million reads to 3.25 billion reads in varying read lengths, enabling the core to sequence projects ranging from proof-of-concept to genome assembly. Learn more about the Illumina platform.
The DSGC has expanded services to include long-read sequencing utilizing Pacific Biosciences Revio. This allows researchers to conduct Whole Genome Sequencing, RNA, microbiome, metagenomes and epigenetics. Learn more about the Pacific Biosciences platform.
Recently, the facility acquired an upgraded 10X Genomics instrument for sample partitioning and molecular barcoding prior to sequencing. The facility is pleased to be able to offer single-cell sequencing pipelines to the ASU community through this platform. Learn more about the 10X Genomics platform.
For metagenomics sequencing, 16S, 18S or ITS regions can be isolated and sequenced as relevant and are sequenced on the MiSeq instrument, allowing researchers to characterize and study microbial communities from various environments such as soils, freshwater, seawater, waste water and host-microbe associations. More information about the primer sets used for targeted metagenomics can be found on our Information and Resources tab.
The DSGC also maintains a close partnership with the ASU Bioinformatics Core, providing researchers with access to a PhD level informatics team experienced with NGS sample processing for downstream informatics needs. Learn more about the Bioinformatics Facility.
The core has also made several instruments available for researchers to use independently. Currently, an Agilent Tapestation, a Quantstudio 5, a Covaris M220, Qubit Flex and a Qubit4 are open for scheduled use following training by a facility staff member. Please visit our Equipment tab for more details about our instruments, or contact us to schedule training.
In addition, the expertise of facility staff is available for researchers at any point in the experimental process. Please contact the core to set up a consultation for any questions!