Speaker: Product Manager Robert Tapella (Pacific Biosciences)
Title: Applications of PacBio SMRT Sequencing in Genomics and Epigenetics Research

Venue: Amphitheatre, Level 2, Duke-NUS Grad Med Sch, 8 College Road, S169857
(Opposite Singapore General Hospital, Block 6/7)
Date/Time: Thursday, 15th August 2013, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Abstract:
DNA sequencing technology has advanced rapidly in the past decade. However, there are significant limitations to massively parallel sequencing approaches, particularly related to short read lengths of tens or hundreds of bases per read, and with an inability to read through low complexity areas of the genome.

PacBio SMRT Sequencing is a new technology with read lengths of thousands of bases per read. Recent publications suggest that this method is able to close and finish high-accuracy bacterial genomes with automated software rather than requiring additional manual efforts. The read length is also beneficial to analysis of targeted genomic areas that are difficult or impossible to sequence using any other commercially available technology. Additionally, one may use SMRT Sequencing to study a variety of chemical modifications to DNA that can affect biochemical processes such as gene expression, replication and DNA repair.

This presentation will cover PacBio’s SMRT Sequencing approach, which is a single-molecule analysis technology that can supplement or replace Sanger and massively parallel short-read sequencing approaches by addressing their limitations. Topics include:
- How the sequence of single molecules may be read
- The high read length and accuracy of single molecule sequencing
- Application of the features of SMRT Sequencing to genome assembly and targeted sequencing experiments
- Direct detection of chemically modified DNA bases and methylomes

About the Speaker:
Robert Tapella – Product Manager at Pacific Biosciences
Rob has over ten years of experience working in the biotechnology cluster of Silicon Valley. His experience spans genomics software to consumables and instrumentation at companies such as Applied Biosystems and Illumina. As product manager at Pacific Biosciences, Rob is managing development of the PacBio RS II System as well as analysis software for bacterial methylation and other base modification research.

Rob is a graduate of Cornell University, and did his Masters degree at Keck Graduate Institute, a multidisciplinary graduate school for the bioscience industry. The program combines business with study in biology, drug development, medical devices and diagnostics, intellectual property issues, regulatory affairs, and bioethics.