**5. NGS service providers**

Researchers who cannot afford to purchase NGS machines at prices varying between \$80,000 and over 1 million USD (depending on the platform) plus the many add-ons, computing requirements, and infrastructural changes, instead, might consider using one of the many available sequencing service providers. For example, Novogene, which was founded in Beijing in 2011 and now is located also in Great Britain and the USA, provides NGS for human, animal, plant, and microbe applications using Illumina MiSeq, HiSeq, and X platforms for wholegenome *de novo* sequencing and resequencing, exome sequencing, targeted sequencing, transcriptomics for mRNA and small RNA, and metagenomics. Similarly, the South Korean company Macrogen provides all the NGS services using Illumina platforms as well as epigenome sequencing for methylations by bisulfite conversion, methyl-CpG binding domain, or chromatin immunoprecipitation. Prices may vary between \$500 and \$2,000 USD per sample depending on the sequencing project and the project workflow from sample preparation to bioinformatics analysis (https://www.scienceexchange.com). Table 2 lists some of the service providers, and others can be accessed at http://omicsmaps.com.



for the partial sequencing of DNA base pairs within intact DNA molecules using synthesized genomes of 3.3 and 7.2 kb length that were sequenced by enzymatically incorporating modified bases that contained atoms of increased atomic number and allowed for the direct visualization and identification of individually labeled bases [88]. In this sequencing process, the double strands of the DNA sample are separated into single strands using common enzymes and reactions. Then, the single-stranded DNA is labeled by PCR using dNTPs attached to heavyatom metal labels that can be separated into identifiable electron microscope-generated images showing large black dots, small black dots, and large gray dots along the DNA molecule linearized by ZSG threading. Standard image-based technologies perform the reads and analysis of the labeled DNA using image analysis software that provides sequence data in real time. The sequenced molecules are reads in the range of 5 to 50 kb in length that are useful for *de novo* genome assembly and for analysis of full haplotypes and copy number variants. The company ZS Genetics (http://www.zsgenetics.com) offers a service to provide accurate, long-

read, single-molecule DNA sequences using the NGS electron microscopy platform.

providers, and others can be accessed at http://omicsmaps.com.

+ + + + + +

+ + + + + +

**(TS WG WES)**

BGI All + + + + + bgiamericas.com Novogene Illumina + + + + + novogene.com

> + +

> + +

**Service provider Platforms DNA sequencing**

Ion Torrent

Ion Torrent

Macrogen Illumina

CD Genomics Illumina

Researchers who cannot afford to purchase NGS machines at prices varying between \$80,000 and over 1 million USD (depending on the platform) plus the many add-ons, computing requirements, and infrastructural changes, instead, might consider using one of the many available sequencing service providers. For example, Novogene, which was founded in Beijing in 2011 and now is located also in Great Britain and the USA, provides NGS for human, animal, plant, and microbe applications using Illumina MiSeq, HiSeq, and X platforms for wholegenome *de novo* sequencing and resequencing, exome sequencing, targeted sequencing, transcriptomics for mRNA and small RNA, and metagenomics. Similarly, the South Korean company Macrogen provides all the NGS services using Illumina platforms as well as epigenome sequencing for methylations by bisulfite conversion, methyl-CpG binding domain, or chromatin immunoprecipitation. Prices may vary between \$500 and \$2,000 USD per sample depending on the sequencing project and the project workflow from sample preparation to bioinformatics analysis (https://www.scienceexchange.com). Table 2 lists some of the service

**RNA-seq Methyl-seq Web address**

macrogen.com

cd-genomics.com

+ +

+ +

**5. NGS service providers**

14 Next Generation Sequencing - Advances, Applications and Challenges

**Table 2.** NGS service providers. In the DNA sequencing column, TS is targeted sequencing, WG is whole-genome sequencing, and WES is whole-exome sequencing. \*RNA-seq includes whole transcriptome, mRNA, long, small, and microRNA sequencing. \*\*Methyl-seq (methylation sequencing) or epigenetic analysis is usually performed by bisulfite sequencing and either NGS or capillary electrophoresis analysis (CEA). Other analyses such as MBD, MeDIP-seq, or ChIP-seq may be provided. Helicos and PacBio platforms also enable the detection of methylation sites. \*\*\*AGRF = Australian Genomic Research Facility. Most of the listed service providers also may perform sample and library preparation, Sanger sequencing, specialist genotyping, data analysis, and bioinformatics service. Other service providers can be accessed via the High-Throughput Sequencing Map site at http://omicsmaps.com.
