Illumina and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Announce Completed Genome for Endangered Tasmanian Devil
September 15 2010 - 8:00PM
Business Wire
Researchers from Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) and the Wellcome
Trust Sanger Institute have used Illumina’s next generation
sequencing technology to create a draft genome sequence for the
endangered Tasmanian devil, and will use this to find genetic
mutations in the transmissible cancer that is ravaging its
population.
The results open the door for new research to pick out those
specific mutations that drive the cancer and will lay the
foundation for ongoing work to trace the spread of disease and
inform the development of preclinical tests, conservation
strategies and disease therapies. The announcement is being made by
Sanger Institute researcher, Dr. Elizabeth Murchison, at the AMATA
2010 Conference in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
The reference Tasmanian devil genome –approximately the same
size as the human genome -- was sequenced in eight days in one run
on Illumina’s HiSeq 2000, generating more than 80-fold genome
coverage. Two cancer genomes of affected animals from different
parts of Tasmania were sequenced at high coverage as well.
Sequencing, de novo assembly and analysis of genetic variation of
the three genomes has been undertaken jointly by scientists at the
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Illumina.
“We’re excited about what this project means, not just for the
future of this very rare and endangered species and this unusual
cancer,” said David Bentley, Chief Scientist at Illumina. “It is
wonderful to see Illumina’s next generation sequencing, with its
emphasis on speed, accuracy and genome coverage, opening a world of
new possibilities for scientists to get at the root causes and
manifestations of disease.”
The Tasmanian devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial and is
native to the island of Tasmania. The species is at risk of
extinction in the wild due to a transmissible facial cancer, which
is spread between devils by the transfer of cancer cells by biting.
The cancerous cells from the first devil then colonize the bitten
animal, which usually dies within months of the appearance of
symptoms. In the 14 years since the disease was first observed, the
devil population has declined by more than 80 per cent.
Tasmanian devil facial tumor is almost unique in cancers of the
animal kingdom in that it is transmitted by direct transplantation
of cancer cells from animal to animal.
“This sequence is invaluable and comes at a crucial time,” said
Dr. Murchison. “By comparing our draft sequence with samples taken
from many hundreds of devils suffering from this cancer, we can
begin to look at the spread of the disease, quite literally, by
identifying geographical routes and barriers in its transmission.
This knowledge could ultimately shape the ongoing conservation
efforts in Tasmania.
“It took 10 years to sequence the draft human genome; the devil
took just two months using this new technology. We are entering a
new era when genome sequencing can be applied to some of our most
pressing problems in real time.”
The next step will be to sequence many more Tasmanian devil
facial tumor samples. By generating profiles of the mutations
present in these cancers, the team hopes to improve understanding
of the disease and its spread.
“This sequence is not only a boon to the efforts to protect this
endangered species,” said Professor Mike Stratton, Director of the
Sanger Institute and joint head of the Cancer Genome Project. “We
believe that this research, the first of its kind to look at this
very unusual form of transmissible cancer, will also teach us
important lessons about the evolution of cancers. What we are
observing is not just a class of cancer that afflicts the Tasmanian
devil; we are actually peering into the very same cancer that
originated in just one devil, some 20 years ago – a cancer that has
long survived its original host.
“In research terms, this is truly unique – it will provide an
unprecedented window into the evolution of cancer.”
About Illumina
Illumina (www.illumina.com) is a leading developer,
manufacturer, and marketer of life science tools and integrated
systems for large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function.
We provide innovative sequencing and array-based solutions for
genotyping, copy number variation analysis, methylation studies,
gene expression profiling, and low-multiplex analysis of DNA, RNA
and protein. We also provide tools and services that are fueling
advances in consumer genomics and diagnostics. Our technology and
products accelerate genetic analysis research and its application,
paving the way for molecular medicine and ultimately transforming
healthcare.
About the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which receives the majority
of its funding from the Wellcome Trust, was founded in 1992. The
Institute is responsible for the completion of the sequence of
approximately one-third of the human genome as well as genomes of
model organisms and more than 90 pathogen genomes. In October 2006,
new funding was awarded by the Wellcome Trust to exploit the wealth
of genome data now available to answer important questions about
health and disease.
http://www.sanger.ac.uk
About the Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charity dedicated to achieving
extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports
the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical
humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public
engagement, education and the application of research to improve
health. It is independent of both political and commercial
interests.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
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