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Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · Sequencing and Genomics

Whole-genome sequencing

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

nounCommon term

In genetics & biotechnology, whole-genome sequencing means: Sequencing nearly all of an organism's DNA, both the genes and the regions between them, in a single test.

In Turkish: tüm genom dizileme, WGS

How it is used

Abbreviated WGS. Used in research, rare disease diagnosis, cancer and pathogen surveillance. Human WGS for inherited variants is usually done at about 30x coverage. It finds more types of variants than exome sequencing but produces much more data.

Example sentences

  1. Whole-genome sequencing found a deep intronic variant that the exome test had missed.

  2. Public health labs use whole-genome sequencing to trace food poisoning outbreaks.

Common collocations

  • whole-genome sequencing (WGS)
  • clinical whole-genome sequencing
  • 30x whole-genome sequencing
  • perform whole-genome sequencing
  • sequencingAny method that works out the exact order of bases (A, T, G and C) in a piece of DNA or RNA.
  • exomeAll the exons in a genome, that is, its protein-coding part. In humans it makes up only about 1–2% of the genome but contains most known disease-causing variants.
  • coverageThe average number of sequencing reads that cover each base of the target region. Higher coverage gives more confident results.
  • next-generation sequencingModern technologies that read millions or billions of DNA fragments in parallel, making it fast and cheap to sequence whole genomes, exomes or many genes at once.
  • genomeThe complete set of DNA in an organism or cell, including all of its genes and the DNA between them.

More terms: Sequencing and Genomics

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