The Sequencing Analysis and Resource Dissemination (SARD) Core brings together sequencing and analytical expertise in human genetics and large-scale genomics from the Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC) with microbial, viral, and metagenomics experience from the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research (CMMR). In support of the GCID projects, large heterogeneous datasets will be generated, evaluated, and characterized using new and proven sequencing and analytical methods to further our understanding of how polymorphisms (host or microbe) contribute to mechanisms of pathogenesis. Advances in high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) developed during the previous phase of the GCID program, such as the development of viral capture enrichment pipelines, will continue to be applied. New approaches, such as single-cell RNA sequencing, have enabled a more discrete examination of the cellular response to infection and the transduction of signals from an infected cell to adjacent cells. The SARD team will continue to advance the existing NGS applications, leveraging new sequencing technologies such as PacBio Revio to deliver long-read assemblies at lower cost and support MAS-ISO-seq to deliver full-length transcripts and isoforms. The Oxford Nanopore (ONT) platform will enable novel sequencing applications for low biomass samples (e.g. ONT Adaptive sampling). New sequencing platforms (e.g. Element AVITI) or new methodologies, e.g. MERFISH for single cell spatial transcriptomics and the antibody-based Olink platform for targeted protein profiling, will be evaluated for their use across our research projects. In addition to data generation, the SARD Core will support the GCID program by managing sample tracking via LIMS, data management, data analysis, and data dissemination and focus on bioinformatic tool developments that seek to optimize existing protocols, as well as create new workflows in response to new sequencing technologies and molecular techniques.
SARD Core Leads
Donna Muzny, M.S. (HGSC)
Harsha Doddapaneni, Ph.D. (HGSC)
Sara Javornik Cregeen, Ph.D. (CMMR)