Currently, the rate of technological advancements for next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms is projected to drop sequencing costs below the $1,000 level. Thus, as more individuals have the ability to sequence their genome, the question becomes what is done with the information? While the scientific community has largely accepted the utility of sequencing for research purposes, the use of the technology in a clinical setting has yet to be fully addressed or accepted by the medical community. Bridging the gap between research and medicine by forming collaborations will not only demonstrate the clinical utility of sequencing, but also pave the way for how this technology can potentially be used by a new class of physicians and their patients.
**NEW Short Course: The Business of Genomics** Find out more here.
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8:30 am Short Course Registration
9:00 Short Course Sessions*
*Separate registration required.
12:00 pm Close of Short Courses
11:30 am-2:00 pm Conference Registration
2:00 Chairperson’s Remarks
Ryan Phelan, Founder and CEO, DNA Direct, Inc.
Keynote Presentation
2:05 Epigenetics of Human Immunity: High-Throughput Analysis by Microdroplet PCR and Methyl DNA-Seq
Daniel R. Salomon, M.D., Associate Professor, Director, Laboratory of Functional Genomics; Medical Director, Scripps Center for Organ and Cell Transplantation, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research InstituteIt is now evident that epigenetic changes to the fixed genome are critical determinants of cellular information flow, in effect, establishing the transcriptional repertoire of any cell type at any given time. We are investigating the activation of human CD4 T cells in the immune response by interrogating the methylation status of CpG islands located in critical promoter/enhancer regions proximate to transcriptional start sites. To enable these studies, we developed a novel application of high-throughput microdroplet PCR coupled with deep sequencing of bisulfite-treated DNA. We are now profiling the methylation status of over 2000 candidate genes as a function of activation and differentiation status, then correlating these results with the transcriptome by deep mRNA sequencing to reveal the underlying role of CpG epigenetics in regulating immune activation.
2:50 Landscape of STAT-Dependent Epigenetic Modification in T Helper Cell Specification
Yuka Kanno, M.D., Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Lymphocyte Cell Biology, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health
During the process of helper T cell differentiation, mobilization of STAT transcription factors and associating histone epigenetic modification were quantitatively determined by powerful ChIP-seq approaches. A key role of STATs to condition epigenetic pattern on target gene loci was revealed for maintaining cell lineage specificity.
3:25 Refreshment Break
4:00 Panel Discussion
- What does it take to bridge the gap between research and the clinic?
- Where will NGS make the first impact?
- How to best educate physicians and patients?
- Who are the payers?
Panel Moderator:
Ryan Phelan, Founder and CEO, DNA Direct, Inc.
Panelists:
• Lynn Dowling, MBA, Executive Director, El Camino Hospital Genomic Medicine Institute
• Daniel R. Salomon, M.D., Associate Professor, Director, Laboratory of Functional Genomics; Medical Director, Scripps Center for Organ and Cell Transplantation, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute
• Felix Frueh, Ph.D., President, Medco Research Institute, Inc.
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5:45 Reception in the Exhibit hall
7:15 Close of Day
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