Plant research
… plant chromosomes can now be assembled in a single contig, gapless and from telomere to telomere …
Belser, C. et al. Commun. Biol. 4 (2021)
Assemble highly contiguous plant genomes with unrestricted read lengths
Precisely resolve structural variants (SVs), transposons, transgene insertions, and epigenetic modifications
Delineate complete transcript isoforms for better gene annotation
Resolve complex plant genomes
Offering reads of unrestricted length, from short to ultra long, nanopore technology enables accurate assembly of large, highly repetitive plant genomes — resolving structural variants, transposons, and transgene insertions — to deliver new insights into plant biology, evolution, and breeding strategies for biodiversity studies and agrigenomics. Epigenetic modifications (e.g. methylation) can be identified alongside nucleotide sequences with no additional protocol steps or expense, while the facility to sequence full-length transcripts supports enhanced gene annotation and gene expression studies.
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Featured content
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Closing the gap in plant genomes
This white paper outlines how researchers are using nanopore technology to produce high-quality, highly contiguous plant genome assemblies — enabling new opportunities in plant conservation and breeding.
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A chromosome-scale butternut assembly
This blog describes how nanopore sequencing was used to generate a reference-quality assembly for the butternut tree, an endangered walnut variety native to North America.
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PromethION 24
The flexible, high-throughput PromethION 24 delivers complete genomic and transcriptomic characterisation of large numbers of plant lines.
Generate high sequencing outputs on up to 24 independently addressable PromethION Flow Cells and utilise powerful onboard compute.
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The only portable, real-time devices for DNA and RNA sequencing, giving complete control and creativity over when, where, and how often you sequence, regardless of application.
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A compact benchtop device designed to run and analyse up to five Flongle or MinION Flow Cells.
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Flexible, affordable, high-output nanopore devices for every lab — in a compact, accessible form.
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Flexible, large-scale, direct DNA and RNA sequencing devices — delivering on-demand access to terabases of data.
Technology comparison
Oxford Nanopore sequencing
Legacy short-read sequencing
Any read length (20 bp to >4 Mb)
Short read length (<300 bp)
- Generate complete, high-quality genomes with fewer contigs and simplify de novo assembly
- Resolve genomic regions inaccessible to short reads, including complex structural variants (SVs) and repeats
- Analyse long-range haplotypes, accurately phase single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and base modifications, and identify parent-of-origin effects
- Sequence short DNA fragments, such as amplicons and cell-free DNA (cfDNA)
- Sequence and quantify full-length transcripts to annotate genomes, fully characterise isoforms, and analyse gene expression — including at single-cell resolution
- Resolve mobile genetic elements — including plasmids and transposons — to generate critical genomic insights
- Enhance taxonomic resolution using full-length reads of informative loci, such as the entire 16S gene
- Assembly contiguity is reduced and complex computational analyses are required to infer results
- Complex genomic regions such as SVs and repeat elements typically cannot be sequenced in single reads (e.g. transposons, gene duplications, and prophage sequences)
- Transcript analysis is limited to gene-level expression data
- Important genetic information is missed
Direct sequencing of native DNA/RNA
Amplification required
- Eliminate amplification- and GC-bias, along with read length limitations, and access genomic regions that are difficult to amplify
- Detect epigenetic modifications, such as methylation, as standard — no additional, time-consuming sample prep required
- Create cost-effective, amplification-free, targeted panels with adaptive sampling to detect SVs, repeats, SNVs, and methylation in a single assay
- Amplification is often required and can introduce bias
- Base modifications are removed, necessitating additional sample prep, sequencing runs, and expense
- Uniformity of coverage is reduced, resulting in assembly gaps
Real-time data streaming
Fixed run time with bulk data delivery
- Analyse data as it is generated for immediate access to actionable results
- Stop sequencing when sufficient data is obtained — wash and reuse flow cell
- Combine real-time data streaming with intuitive, real-time EPI2ME data analysis workflows for deeper insights
- Time to result is increased
- Workflow errors cannot be identified until it is too late
- Additional complexities of handling large volumes of bulk data
Accessible and affordable sequencing
Constrained to centralised labs
- Sequence on demand with flexible end-to-end workflows that suit your throughput needs
- Sequence at sample source, even in the most extreme or remote environments, with the portable MinION device — minimise potential sample degradation caused by storage and shipping
- Scale up with modular GridION and PromethION devices — suitable for high-output, high-throughput sequencing to generate ultra-rich data
- Perform cost-effective targeted analyses with single-use Flongle Flow Cells
- Sequence as and when needed using low-cost, independently addressable flow cells — no sample batching needed
- Use sample barcodes to multiplex samples on a single flow cell
- Bulky, expensive devices that require substantial site infrastructure — use is restricted to well-resourced, centralised locations, limiting global accessibility
- High sample batching is required for optimal efficiency, delaying time to results
Streamlined, automatable workflows
Laborious workflows
- Prepare samples in as little as 10 minutes, including multiplexing
- Use end-to-end whole-genome, metagenomic, targeted (including 16S barcoding), direct RNA and cDNA sequencing workflows
- Scale and automate your workflows to suit your sequencing needs
- Perform real-time enrichment of single targets or panels without additional wet-lab prep by using adaptive sampling
- Lengthy sample prep is required
- Long sequencing run times
- Workflow efficiency is reduced, and time to result is increased
