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University of Wisconsin–Madison

Acquisition of an Illumina NovaSeq Next Generation DNA Sequencer for UW–Madison

DNA sequencing capabilities at UW–Madison will get a boost from this project, which supports the purchase of a ‘next generation’ DNA sequencer, the Illumina NovaSeq. The Illumina NovaSeq provides 15 times the sequence throughput at almost half the cost as the campus’ older instrument. This upgrade in hardware for the Illumina platform of sequencers, which performs work for hundreds of laboratories on campus, is required to maintain state of the art critical service to researchers and clinicians in colleges, centers and departments all over UW.

The HiSeq 2500 purchased in 2013 has in the past five years performed 2,531 sequencing runs from samples provided by 240 different campus faculty investigators in departments, centers and colleges all over campus. Equally important, this instrument will be operated in an established core facility that meets the needs of the campus research community with technology that is fundamental to a majority of modern basic and translational experiments performed in the biological sciences.

DNA sequencing is a need that is now almost as ubiquitous as computers at UW-Madison, for everything from forensics to disease treatment as well as basic molecular, cellular and organismal research in the biological sciences. With the future of personalized medicine already upon us, and the large potential of clinical uses for DNA sequencing to provide rapid diagnosis and individualized disease treatments, this instrument will not only help campus researchers, but also, will contribute to improving the health of citizens all over this state.

Principal Investigator

  • Michael Sussman
    Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the Biotechnology Center

Co-Principal Investigators

  • Mark Albertini
    Associate Professor of Hematology-Oncology
  • Richard Anderson
    Professor of Basic Research
  • Jean-Michel Ane
    Professor of Bacteriology and Agronomy
  • David Baum
    Professor of Botany
  • Kristen Bernard
    Professor of Pathobiological Sciences
  • Qiang Chang
    Associate Professor of Genetics and Incoming Director of the Waisman Center
  • Mike Cox
    Professor of Biochemistry
  • Cameron Currie
    Professor of Bacteriology
  • Colin Dewey
    Associate Professor of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
  • John Doebley
    Professor of Genetics
  • Tim Donohue
    Professor of Bacteriology and Director of the Wisconsin Energy Institute
  • Heidi Dvinge
    Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry
  • David Eide
    Professor of Nutritional Sciences
  • Catherine Fox
    Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry
  • Simon Gilroy
    Professor of Botany
  • Thomas Givnish
    Professor of Botany
  • Michael Gould
    Professor of Oncology
  • Rick Gourse
    Professor of Bacteriology
  • Daniel Greenspan
    Professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology
  • Jo Handelsman
    Professor of Plant Pathology and Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
  • Melissa Harrison
    Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry
  • Chris Hittinger
    Associate Professor of Genetics
  • Aaron Hoskins
    Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
  • Gopal Iyer
    Assistant Professor of Human Oncology
  • Joan Jorgensen
    Associate Professor of Comparative Biosciences
  • Shawn Kaeppler
    Professor of Agronomy
  • Ned Kalin
    Professor of Psychiatry
  • Yoshi Kawaoka
    Professor of Pathobiological Sciences 
  • Paul Koch
    Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology
  • Jason Kwan
    Assistant Professor of Pharmacy
  • Jennifer Laffin
    Associate Professor of Cytogenetics
  • Dudley Lamming
    Assistant Professor of Endocrinology
  • Robert Landick
    Professor of Biochemistry and Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
  • Wenli Li
    Adjunct Professor of Dairy Science
  • Ramamurthy Mahalingam
    Assistant Professor of Agronomy 
  • Patrick Masson
    Professor of Genetics
  • Gillian McLellan
    Assistant Professor Surgical Sciences
  • Katherine McMahon
    Professor of Bacteriology
  • Douglas McNeel
    Professor of Hematology-Oncology
  • Andrew Mehle
    Assistant Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  • Phil Newmark
    Professor of Integrative Biology 
  • Caitlin Pepperell
    Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease
  • Bret Payseur
    Professor of Genetics
  • J. Wesley Pike
    Professor of Biochemistry
  • John Pool
    Associate Professor of Genetics
  • Srivatsan Raman
    Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Wisconsin Energy Institute
  • Jess Reed
    Professor of Bacteriology and Animal Science
  • Federico Rey
    Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Bacteriology 
  • Phil Romero
    Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
  • Sean Schoville
    Assistant Professor of Entomology
  • Michael Sheets
    Professor of Biomolecular Chemistry
  • Eric Shusta
    Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
  • Phil Simon
    Professor of Horticulture
  • Ahna Skop
    Associate Professor of Genetics
  • Lloyd Smith
    Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Genome Center of Wisconsin in the Biotechnology Center 
  • Rupa Sridharan
    Assistant Professor in Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
  • Garret Suen
    Associate Professor of  Bacteriology
  • Susan Thibeault
    Professor of Otolaryngology
  • William Tracy
    Professor of Agronomy
  • Raghu Vemuganti
    Professor of Neurological Surgery
  • Donald Waller
    Professor of Botany 
  • Thea Whitman
    Assistant Professor of Soil Science
  • Marvin Wickens
    Professor of Biochemistry
  • Mostafa Zamanian
    Assistant Professor of Pathobiological Sciences
  • Jing Zhang
    Professor of Oncology
  • Xinyu Zhao
    Professor of Neuroscience and the Waisman Center