Taking a trip to Steger Hall is saving Virginia Tech researchers time, money, and risk. 

“The Genomics Sequencing Center specializes in customizing DNA- and RNA-related projects to meet the needs of investigators,” said Megan Naff, the lab’s manager. “Researchers should view us as a resource for training their students, for asking questions, or getting advice.” 

One of several research infrastructure facilities supported by the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, the Genomics Sequencing Center (GSC) hosts a team of molecular biologists and the latest in next-generation sequencing technologies. Available to both researchers internal and external to the university, the lab supplies a host of services to advance a wide variety of research as well as one-on-one help.

“We can assist with new method development, new techniques, and procedures. We are not only a service provider, but a collaborator with expertise,” Naff said.

Recent funding from Virginia Tech’s Office of Research and Innovation helped the center to upgrade its services, providing faster turnaround times at more economical rates. 

The lab and its services will be on display during the Fralin Life Sciences Institute Research Facilities Open House on Feb. 24, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

By the numbers

In fiscal year 2024, the Genomics Sequencing Center facilities supported a wide range of research through various services, including:

  • 99 customers used Sanger sequencing for a total of 10,476 samples 
  • 30 customers using next-generation sequencing
  • 17 Virginia Tech departments or colleges 
  • Six external entities  

In their words

The Genomics Sequencing Center has helped advance the work of several researchers, such as Assistant Professor Raj Gaji in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology. His projects include gene expression, plasmid DNA sequencing, and transcription factors in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. 

“They have suggested better tests to use, and they have always given us options based on what our budget is and what kind of sequencing we can get done,” Gaji said.

The center has also played a pivotal role in the work of countless graduate and undergraduate students, including Sam Silknetter, a Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences in the lab of Meryl Mims. Silknetter's research investigates the population genetics of Baetidae mayflies and cryptic diversity of Chironomidae midges in the Southern United States.

“The GSC helps assess the quality of samples before the sequencing step and that provides a lot of peace of mind,” Silknetter said.

Visit the lab

As part of Fralin Life Sciences Institute’s open house, the Genomics Sequencing Center will offer guided tours of the facility to the university community on Feb. 24 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Steger Hall, 1015 Life Sciences Circle on the Blacksburg campus. 

Tours also will available at other research infrastructure facilities, including the Facility for Advanced Imaging and Microscopy and Fralin Imaging Center, Flow Cytometry Resource Laboratory, and Mass Spectrometry Incubator.

Members of the Center for Bioinformatic and Health Data Science, from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke, and GlycoMIP will also be available.

A technical seminar offered by Qiagen, which offers cutting-edge bioinformatics tools for those engaged in multiple types of “omics” research will be held in advance of the open house from noon-1:30 p.m. in the Steger Hall Conference Center, Room 145. Register online.

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