Project Summary
At this point in time, it is generally understood and agreed upon that single-molecule sequencing (SMS) is the
future of genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and epitranscriptomics due to its significant advantages over
other technologies and methods. However, in order for these advantages to be fully realized, and for SMS to
become the “gold standard” sequencing approach, significant issues and hurdles must be solved and
overcome. During this program, Electronic BioSciences, Inc. (EBS) aims to demonstrate a completely new and
enabling SMS method that will possess the ability to directly and correctly identify individual nucleotides,
including chemically modified nucleotides. During this project, we will both demonstrate the ability of this
entirely new sequencing approach to sequence DNA with high accuracy (directly comparing the obtained
accuracy, throughput, error mechanisms and associated rates to other SMS approaches) and correctly identify
(and sequence) 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and its derivatives, at the single molecule level. At the conclusion of
this Phase I project, we will have successfully demonstrated an entirely new and dramatically improved SMS
approach, and reduced the associated risks involved with its full future commercial developments.
There is a current need within the field of next generation sequencing (NGS) or so called third generation
sequencing (TGS) for new, enabling instrumentation that is capable of high-accuracy, direct, native DNA
sequencing, including the ability to correctly identify canonical and modified bases, homopolymer stretches,
and sequence repeats. The entirely new SMS methodology that will be developed during this project will
overcome known hurdles and limitations of currently available NGS, TGS, and SMS technologies, resulting in
technology that is cost-efficient, highly accurate, easy to setup and utilize, capable of de novo sequencing and
modified base calling, and yields highly simplistic data for easy analysis and post possessing. Through
significant advancements made during this program, this resulting technology will revolutionize the use of the
genome and epigenome, radically change standard R&D and clinical practices, and greatly advance clinical
diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutic decision making.