Next-generation sequencing (NGS), also known by other names such as high-throughput sequencing, is a revolutionary technology that has transformed the field of genetics and molecular biology.

It refers to a collection of DNA or RNA molecules that can be used to determine the sequence of DNA or RNA molecules faster and on a much larger scale than conventional sequencing methods.

It is a collection of techniques and technologies that can perform DNA or RNA sequencing faster and on a much larger scale than traditional sequencing methods.

What is next-generation sequencing?

Researchers and scientists may examine the transcriptome, or all the triRNAs present in an organism at any given time, and its entire genome, or all the genes or genetic material present in any one organism, thanks to next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Furthermore, this enables the efficient and economical sequencing of additional new click acids.

As a result, a number of scientific disciplines have seen substantial advancements, including genetics, personalized medicine, evolutionary biology, and many more.

DNA and RNA Any organism's cell nucleus houses its DNA, which is the whole set of information on all the outward features and chemical processes that take place inside the organism.

Within the nucleus, DNA is arranged like a tangled ball of thread. Certain segments of this thread, referred to as "genes," use the production of RNA to convey information to cells outside the nucleus. It receives water, which is referred to as "cytoplasm," and uses it to make protein from RNA.

This protein then determines whether or not all of the organism's functions occur. Since the chemical structures of DNA and RNA are acidic, these two molecules are also referred to as nucleic acids. 

However, if we know the sequence of these nucleic acids, we can obtain information about all the protein and non-protein molecules made in any living organism.

Emergence of PCR and NGS

With the advent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in the mid-1980s, it became possible to make millions or even billions of copies of any gene found in an organism. Primer sets are used to copy the complete gene. Millions and millions of copies are made in this way by performing one to two and two to four.

Similar to this, PCR can duplicate one or more genes billions of times, but it is unable to duplicate the entire DNA molecule or all of the genes.

Next is the NGS technology, which uses a full chemical procedure to duplicate the entire genome or DNA and then uses computer software to determine the entire DNA's sequence.

Applications of NGS

The NGS method, which first appeared in 1995 and was on sale in 2005, offers a number of important characteristics that make it possible to quickly analyze vast amounts of genomic data.

Because of this method's extremely cheap cost per nucleotide, researchers may produce vast volumes of data in a comparatively short length of time, making large-scale DNA sequencing projects accessible to a wide range of funding sources. increased accessibility.

Related Article: The Human Genome Project: A Historic Chapter in Scientific History

Not only whole genomes can be sequenced by this technique, but also specific exomes (the entire sequence of protein-coding DNA), and, as mentioned earlier, RNA sequencing is also possible. It offers thorough detection of genetic variations, epigenetic modifications in gene expression, and other molecular characteristics, hence providing the most comprehensive information.

What this technique has done is revolutionize clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine by enabling the identification of genetic changes associated with diseases, thereby allowing doctors to tailor treatments to individual patients' genetic profiles.

In addition, this technique is being applied in cancer, infectious disease surveillance, agriculture, forensics, ancient DNA testing, prenatal fetal DNA testing, pharma, genomics, and other scientific fields, whether it is to trace the lineage of a new organism or to obtain information about organisms that lived in ancient times. Everything is becoming possible.

NGS and Its Impact on Agriculture

Large amounts of grain are being produced by plants and crops thanks to numerous new agricultural studies; similarly, by studying the genome of fruit trees, it is possible to produce multiple times as much at the same time within one season.

Similarly, since fruit trees and crops' genetic makeup and sequencing can be ascertained, it is possible to design an automated system that will enable them to defend against pests and other illnesses.

It has been questioned which gene is capable of carrying out all of these tasks as well as how this gene accomplishes them. In the biological sciences, the NGS method is likewise developing and getting more complex.

Artificial intelligence and Genetics

Artificial intelligence in this day and age can be demonstrated, for instance, by using the genome and RNA sequencing of a single cell to learn about gene expression at the cellular level and cell-to-cell interactions.

Using machine learning to process data, the capacity to do nanoscale real-time sequencing, the extraction and sequencing of DNA from liquid biopsies, or the sequencing of minuscule DNA molecules found in blood collected from the environment This involves the sequencing of DNA derived from various materials, including soil and water.

The Future of NGS

All these innovations will make this technique more accurate and more cost-effective in the future. Its effects will soon be felt by the population of the entire world. While the benefits obtained from this technique are very important in their place, there is also the fear of influencing certain social factors that have started to appear in western society.

This method, for instance, can be used to estimate whether genes are present or absent in the mother's and father's DNA, as well as the DNA of the kid. As a result, paternity testing on children is feasible, useful in determining the biological parents, and currently practiced throughout the West. NGS in Pakistan has the capacity to have a big impact on a lot of different areas.

In addition, this technique is revolutionary for treatment; as mentioned earlier, it is possible to treat any person individually according to their genetic make-up. In the field of agriculture, cotton, wheat, etc., and in the cultivation of fruits, the amount of crops and fruits obtained can be increased many times by obtaining the genomes of these plants and trees.

The sorghum region can also be modified using genomic information to modify seeds at the genome level to enable them to grow more easily in saline soil.

Usage in Medical Fields

Similarly, this technique is used to prevent various genetic diseases that exist in the population of Pakistan, like thalassemia, etc. It will prove to be very important in giving. NGS machines are available in various educational institutions in Pakistan.

Research institutes are working together at the national and international level. The NGS technique has become a research standard in Pakistan, and related computer programming has also started.

Challenges

The NGS system produces enormous amounts of DNA data. Therefore, testing it necessitates a strong computer; the larger the DNA, the more information the computer can process. In actuality, this data's experience is more significant and rich in information. We can learn more about the entire genome, or genetic DNA, thanks to this test.

The information gathered from this technology will be considerably easier and take less time to obtain because of the integration of artificial intelligence with computers. This artificial intelligence program's integration lacks the software that analyzes NGS data, which leads to new discoveries in the fields of evolution and comparative biology.