How to Start an NGS Lab for Reproductive Health Research

Setting Up Your NGS Lab

The field of reproductive health has grown significantly, and the technology used for genetic testing has matched this growth. In the past 15 years, we’ve seen techniques such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), array-based methods, and a move to the current standard of next-generation sequencing (NGS) take hold as routine methods for preimplantation genetic testing and carrier screening research. While the move to faster and more efficient methods has made these applications more accessible, it has also introduced a new layer of complexity to the lab.

The advantages of gaining more information from a higher-resolution platform or the ability to perform multiple applications on a single platform may be worth the hurdle of bringing on a new methodology. While NGS tends to have an easier workflow, there are other considerations for those unfamiliar with molecular testing.

This webinar will outline what is required to start a new NGS lab for reproductive health research and address the analytical validation requirements for high-complexity labs.

Learning Objectives

This webinar will help you:

• Identify the equipment needed for a new molecular lab
• Assess space requirements for instrumentation, workbenches, and storage spaces
• Evaluate personnel requirements for CLIA and CAP and associated credentials
• Review analytical validation steps and consulting services for research workflows

Watch on Demand       Download Slides (PDF, 3.9MB)

Fisher Healthcare is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.™ Program. One P.A.C.E.™ credit-hour will be provided for this complimentary basic level program.

Alain Rico, Senior Manager Global Market Development, Reproductive Health, Thermo Fisher Scientific

An engineer in biotechnology with a degree from the University of Marseilles, France, Alain Rico is a member of the French Army Institute for Tropical Medicine and has worked on vaccine development studies in the fight against malaria. In 1997, he joined PE Biosystems, a multinational biotechnology product development company based in the U.S., which is now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. He leads global market development for Reproductive Health and Clinical Sequencing Solutions and coordinates collaboration with key opinion leaders and development of innovative solutions. He generated data for the first NGS-based workflow for combined analysis of PGT-A, PGT-M, and mitochondrial DNA, and is the initiator of the genetic analysis portfolio for assisted reproductive technologies at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Matt Osentoski, PhD, Senior Manager, Project Management, Global NGS Analytical Validation Services, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr. Osentoski received his PhD in biology from the University of Miami, Florida prior to joining Applied Biosystems (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) in 2006. As a field application scientist, he helped support and develop the first NGS platforms and then served as a leader for NGS application support teams in North America. After a transition to clinical support, he currently leads a team of project managers delivering Thermo Fisher Scientific analytical validation consulting services for the Ion Torrent™ platforms.