(Source: Nextstrain)
In the fight against the novel coronavirus, MGI’s DNBSEQ series of high-throughput sequencers have been instrumental in genome assembly, suspected patient detection, and mutation analysis.
DNBSEQ-G400: Early Deployment for Coronavirus Sequencing
DNBSEQ-G400 was among the first sequencers used for coronavirus genome analysis. As a high-throughput sequencer, it plays a key role in both clinical and scientific research, providing localized genome sequencing data and helping to analyse the virus’s genome across China.
On 30 December 2019, of the earliest batch of 13 new coronavirus genome sequences submitted to the global GISAID database, five sequences were obtained using DNBSEQ-G400. These sequences contributed to the study of viral evolution and pathogenesis in Wuhan.
By 23 January 2020, DNBSEQ-G400 was deployed in Beijing for emergency detection, completing the sequencing task by 3 am on 25 January. Globally, 26 coronavirus genome sequences had been published in GISAID by this time.
Supporting Clinical Diagnosis and Traceability Analysis
On 25 January, DNBSEQ-G400 was used in Shenzhen for traceability analysis, supporting clinical diagnosis and treatment. The sequencer’s flexibility, stable quality, and rapid throughput help improve detection sensitivity, especially for low-virus-content samples. It also enables concurrent testing of suspected, multiple, or secondary infection samples, providing comprehensive pathogen information.
DNBSEQ-T7: Large-Scale Detection Capability
By the end of January, Wuhan, in cooperation with the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shandong First Medical University, completed large-scale sequencing of coronavirus samples using the newly added DNBSEQ-T7 sequencer. Deployed on 21 January, DNBSEQ-T7 can process 128 samples per run, achieving over 100 million reads per sample to improve pathogen detection sensitivity.
Additionally, on 22 January, DNBSEQ-G50 units in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other regions updated their databases with the latest coronavirus sequences.
Emergency Response and Technical Support
MGI established a dedicated emergency response team and a 24-hour technical support line to assist regions in epidemic prevention and control. This includes supporting clinical identification of coronaviruses and other respiratory pathogens, rapid viral sequencing, and monitoring of potential mutations.
Emergency Technical Support Line: 4000-966-988 (press 5)
Contact Information for 2019-nCoV Sequencing Support
- Dr. Jiang: 15972014336
- North China – Mr. Du: 18911279162
- East China – Mr. Zhao: 17621034555
- South China – Mr. Zeng: 18718924024
- Central China – Mr. Jiang: 13681802511
Note: DNBSEQ-G400 and DNBSEQ-G50 retain their original product names MGISEQ-2000 and MGISEQ-200 in China and some overseas countries.
