Chemistry

Illumina’s sequencing by synthesis (SBS) technology is the most successful and widely-adopted next-generation sequencing platform worldwide. SBS technology supports massively parallel sequencing using a proprietary reversible terminator-based method that enables detection of single bases as they are incorporated into growing DNA strands. A fluorescently-labeled terminator is imaged as each dNTP is added and then cleaved to allow incorporation of the next base. Since all four reversible terminator-bound dNTPs are present during each sequencing cycle, natural competition minimizes incorporation bias. The end result is true base-by-base sequencing that enables the industry’s most accurate data for a broad range of applications. See a video of SBS technology in action

 

Applications

SBS technology supports both single read and paired-end libraries. It is the only platform that offers a short-insert paired-end capability for high-resolution sequencing as well as long-insert paired-end reads using the same robust chemistry for efficient sequence assembly, de novo sequencing, large-scale structural variation detection, and more. The combination of short inserts and longer reads increase the ability to fully characterize any genome. A wide array of available sample preparation methods serve to enable diverse applications, including: whole-genome and candidate region resequencing, transcriptome analysis, small RNA discovery, methylation profiling, and genome-wide protein-nucleic acid interaction analysis.