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AAT Bioquest

What is targeted sequencing?

Posted February 16, 2022


Answer

Targeted sequencing is a laboratory process that facilitates sequencing of key genes or regions of interest to high depths of 500–1000 times or higher for more in-depth analyses. This allows researchers to identify rare variants in specific regions of the genome. There are several methods of targeted sequencing. Each method is appropriate for specific applications.

Targeted sequencing is a quick, efficient, and cost-effective method of identifying causative novel or inherited mutations in a single assay. It can be used to identify variants at low allele frequencies down to 5% and delivers accurate, easy-to-interpret results.

In clinical and industrial applications where cost and speed are crucial, targeted sequencing is generally preferred over whole genome sequencing (WGS). This is because targeted sequencing requires less sample input and generates a smaller amount of data than WGS, which makes analyses more manageable.

Additional resources

Enhanced virome sequencing using targeted sequence capture

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