Ion torrent sequencing

Ion torrent sequencing

Ion Torrent sequencing or ion semiconductor sequencing is a method of DNA sequencing based on the detection of hydrogen ions that are released during the polymerization of DNA. This is a method of "sequencing by synthesis", during which a complementary strand is built based on the sequence of a template strand.

This technology differs from other sequencing-by-synthesis technologies in that no modified nucleotides or optics are used. Ion semiconductor sequencing may also be referred to as Ion Torrent sequencing, pH-mediated sequencing, silicon sequencing, or semiconductor sequencing.

The major benefits of ion semiconductor sequencing are rapid sequencing speed and low upfront and operating costs. This has been enabled by the avoidance of modified nucleotides and optical measurements. There are more than 180,000 of publications based on this technologies. The platform has been adopted by leading cancer research institutions around the world and have been used to profile thousands of samples in different translational and clinical research projects including the NCI MATCH trial, delivering consistently reliable results.