The Icahn Institute at Mount Sinai Selects Ion Torrent Sequencing Technology to Drive Discovery in State-of-the-Art Genomics Research Center
Scientists to sequence hundreds of thousands of DNA samples on the Ion Proton System
Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology at Mount Sinai today announced the selection of a suite of 16 next generation sequencing (NGS) systems and ancillary technology from the Ion Torrent portfolio for genomics research in a new, state-of-the art facility designed for studies requiring large volumes of samples.
In October 2014, eight Ion Proton Sequencers, eight Ion Chef Systems, the Torrent Suite Variant Caller and AmpliSeq Custom Panels will be deployed in Mount Sinai’s new genomics research center located in Branford, Connecticut. This highly automated NGS facility will focus on large volume sequencing projects for research applications. Thermo Fisher collaborated with Mount Sinai researchers to develop custom AmpliSeq targets derived for gene targets chosen by Mount Sinai investigators to comprise the largest custom panel to date (26,000 amplicons across two pools).
“After considering the sequencing systems on the market, the Ion Proton was a clear choice for high-throughput targeted sequencing,” said Robert Sebra, PhD, Director of Technology Development and Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Its low per-sample cost, robustness across sample types, rapid end-to-end data generation, and the breadth of the AmpliSeq targeted custom panel for screening hundreds of targeted genes in a single sequencing assay indicated the platform as a highly efficient system for addressing the large volume and diversity of samples we intend to sequence in our new NGS lab.”
The new custom panel covers over 700 genes that have been known to increase the risk for inherited genetic diseases, cancer, cardiovascular, obesity, and other disorders. The Ion Proton platform will also be deployed in support of Mount Sinai’s Resilience Project, a research program that aims to identify and better understand genes and other factors that may protect certain individuals from developing rare catastrophic diseases. Across a range of major projects, the Icahn Institute at Mount Sinai plans to sequence hundreds of thousands of samples over the next two-to-three years.
“We are developing a wide array of clinical tests to be run on the Ion Proton platform with high throughput, targeted sequencing of large volumes of samples in our new NGS facility at the Mount Sinai Health System. For example, New York State Department of Health recently approved a test for clinical care for different types of cancer using specific mutations represented on our new ‘Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel,’ which interrogates hotspot regions of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes,” said Eric Schadt, Ph.D., the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Founding Director of the Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology. “As we scale up to processing large volumes of samples, we expect to rapidly advance our translational research findings in major disease areas such as cancer, rare inherited disorders, and characterization of risk across a broad spectrum of common human diseases. I appreciate the fruitful collaboration with Thermo Fisher to maximize the utility of the Ion Proton System for our needs.”
“Ion’s rapid and scalable sequencing platforms, coupled with the accuracy of our AmpliSeq panel technology are key complimentary components that are enabling a growing number of large-scale studies such as the Resilience Project,” said Chris Linthwaite, Head of the Research Business Unit, Genetic Sciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We are at the start of an exciting era of genomic research in which leading scientists will improve the way we understand and address human disease.”
Daniela Starcevic, PhD, Assistant Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Director of Diagnostic Sequencing, and Joel Dudley, PhD, Assistant Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Director of Biomedical Informatics, both at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will be among the featured presenters at the Ion World Tour 2014 user group meetings taking place Sept. 29 in Burlington, Calif., and Oct. 7 in New York City. For more information, visit the Ion World Tour 2014 website.
Ion Proton, Ion Chef and AmpliSeq Custom Panels are for research use only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $17 billion and 50,000 employees in 50 countries. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through our four premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Life Technologies, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.
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