The Value Read DNA Sequencing Service From MWG Biotech

Knowing the sequence of a given stretch of DNA is useful in basic research when studying fundamental biological processes, as well as in applied fields such as environmental, diagnostic or forensic research. The advent of DNA sequencing has significantly accelerated biological research and discovery. Modern automated DNA sequencing has the advantage of rapid speed and accuracy; however, the instrumentation is pretty expensive. Most researchers opt for commercial sequencing facilities for this reason. Unlike a decade ago, researchers can now choose from numerous sequencing facilities. MWG Biotech Inc. is one such ISO 9001:2000 certified company which has local sites in Germany, USA and India. We have been using this facility for more than 5 years with reliable and reproducible results at reasonable cost.

For those who have routine DNA sequencing requirements, the Value Read DNA Sequencing Service offered by MWG is perfect. It supports both kinds of templates: purified plasmids or purified PCR products. The critical advantage is the convenient online ordering, which uses a barcode system called Ecom-System. This gives the flexibility of online ordering and tracking. Users can obtain a 10% discount on their read when using MWG’s barcode identification security system. The sequencing service is very fast and fully automated; they typically respond back with the sequences within 30h from the time they receive the samples. They also provide the flexibility of choosing from a set of standard sequencing primers or you may order/enclose your own specific primers. The standard vector primers listed are used free of charge, making this choice both convenient and economical if you can plan your experiments properly. Users can track their samples through processing and the sequence files are sent to user’s email. You can also easily and securely download sequencing results via Web-HTTPS/SSL-encryption. They also provide an optional service of BLAST analysis, which they claim to keep it confidential. However, we have always done it ourselves. Also provided upon request is a quality report of the sequences based on PHRED quality values.

In case of purified plasmids, MWG strongly recommends sending air dried samples containing 1 - 2 µg DNA (alternatively, it is possible to send 2 - 3 µg in 20 µl in 5 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8.0 - 9.0). For PCR products, they recommend air dried samples containing 20 ng DNA/100bases (alternatively, it is possible to send 30 ng DNA /100 bases in 20 µl in 5 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8.0 - 9.0). This is comparatively reasonable with regard to amount as well as the ability of the samples to withstand the transport period. If you are sending your own primers, the recommended concentration is 10 pmol/µl and 3 ul per sample.

The most typical reason for failure of sequencing that we observed was due to the wrong amount of DNA. Therefore, users should carefully quantify samples; both too little and too much DNA can result in a failure. Also, DNA should be pure and contaminant-free to expect consistent results.

For larger numbers of samples, users may prefer the Comfort Read Service or Plate-for-Plate service for economic reasons.