Thanks to the Lockwood Foundation Grant, Bellevue College students will be using nanopore sequencing technology to identify crab DNA this summer. This project is one of three pilot projects that will help faculty introduce nanopore sequencing technology to students in the Life Sciences and Molecular Biosciences programs at BC.
Nanopore sequencing technology, particularly the Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT), represents the fourth generation of gene sequencing technology. It stands out from first, second, and third generation sequencing tech due to its combination of gene engineering technology and computer-aided technology. By measuring current distortion while genetic material passes through the nanopore, ONT can rapidly and cost-effectively perform whole-genome sequencing as well as disease identification.
Dr. Stacey Alvares is one of the faculty members who helped bring the MinION to BC. The MinION is a palm-sized device that connects to a laptop for real-time data processing and boasts an unrestricted fragment read length. This feature is novel in a sequencing device since other sequencing technologies are not able to handle ultra-long fragments, resulting in less robust analysis. Dr. Alvares hopes that the MinION will allow BC students to explore their passions.
While the MinION seems like a simple enough device, the samples used for testing have to be carefully prepared to avoid contamination. Faculty members will need time to learn the workflow of preparing samples and using the MinION to sequence. DNA extraction also requires the use of special reagents in order to extract the DNA and prepare it for sequencing. The Lockwood Grant comes in handy here, giving faculty the funds needed to experiment with the new technology and develop ways to integrate it into the BC curriculum. As Dr. Alvares explains, “The grant gives us a way to obtain the reagents and pilot experiments with student volunteers before including them in a course.”
This summer, Dr. Alvares and her colleagues, Jason Fuller and Reza Forough, have designed a set of experiments as a way to test out the MinION. One of these pilot experiments is in collaboration with the MaST Center Aquarium in Des Moines, Washington. The aquarium collects crab larvae from the Puget Sound, and BC students will use the MinION to rapidly identify the unique DNA patterns of crab species. The data collected from the crustacean analysis can be used to determine whether a certain crab population will grow or decline, which would influence environmental management decisions. Another experiment, designed by Professor Fuller, uses the MinION to examine microbial communities found in earwax, leading the way for future biomedical applications.
Alvares is hopeful that exciting new opportunities will be available for BC students via the MinION. She says, “The technology allows me to dream about what research might be possible with students,” she said. She anticipates that the technology will be available to BC students by the next fall quarter. The curricula will be available for students in the molecular biosciences, biology and health sciences courses.
