A roomful of genomic researchers convened in San Francisco, Calif. for the first day of the sixth annual RNA-Seq Summit. If you couldn’t make it, we’ve included a few highlights to illustrate how RNA-seq is contributing to our understanding of disease biology by unlocking transcriptome information. The roster of speakers from across the country was an incredible testimony to the advances enabled by RNA-seq.
During the event, we heard from a range of speakers, including Ulrich Broeckel, MD, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and founder and CEO of RPRD Diagnostics in Milwaukee, Wisc. Dr. Broeckel’s compelling presentation, titled “The Future Role of RNA Expression Analysis in Clinical Diagnostics,” illustrated how he uses Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to ask (and answer) “what’s next?” He uses IPA to model, analyze, and understand complex ‘omics data, enabling him to move the focus from the single “disease causing” gene to entire gene networks. According to Brockel, “The next step in precision medicine is to extend beyond the genome—to combine genomic information with functional assays and NGS expression analysis, such as RNA and miRNA.” Broeckel also proved to be an unflappable presenter: when technical difficulties interrupted his session, he gamely fielded questions and maintained his cool. We congratulate him on his excellent, well-received presentation!
Other speakers included Jin Jen, co-director of Genome Analysis Core at the Mayo Clinic, who started the day with her presentation titled “RNA-Seq as a CLIA Test for Gene Fusion Identification and Beyond.” Other Day One speakers included Bin Tian, professor and director of genome informatics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, whose session was titled “RNA Sequencing From the 3’ End: Methods and Implications,” and Satish Pillai, from UCSF’s Department of Lab Medicine, who focused on identifying host determinants of HIV latency using single-cell RNA-seq. The day was interspersed with speed networking, poster sessions, and interactive roundtable sessions, and we finished it out by hosting a reception for all.
We had a wonderful time in San Francisco and thank all who attended.