Bringing nanopore sequencing to the operating room

Abstract

In their presentation, Franz-Josef Müller & Helene Kretzmer discuss the possibility of intraoperative sequencing for the diagnosis of brain tumours. Towards this aim, they discuss the adoption of molecular and bioinformatic strategies necessary for realising the enormous potential of real-time nanopore analysis. Based on preliminary results, they suggest that nanopore sequencing could deliver a reliable molecular diagnosis of distinct malignant entities within the timeframe of an oncologic operation. Importantly, they identify critical areas in which health care systems-wide innovation will be required for developing intraoperative sequencing into a truly actionable diagnostic tool in the foreseeable future.

Bio

Franz-Josef Müller works clinically as Neuropsychiatrist at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. His research interest is in combining cutting-edge molecular and cell biology tools with bioinformatics methods to develop clinically actionable assays. Before, he has headed the development of predictive assays for stem cell research (www.pluritest.org), and he has worked with Oxford Nanopore Technologies on Cas9-based enrichment and analysis strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders."

Helene Kretzmer heads the bioinformatics group at the Department for Genome Regulation at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany. She has developed methods for DNA methylation sequencing analysis and their application to cancer data. Her current research focuses on utilizing single-cell RNA- and whole-genome methylation sequencing to study epigenetic factors regulating early mammalian embryonic development and understanding the epigenetic footprint of cancer.