How Much DNA for Genome and Metagenome Sequencing?

 microbiome bacteriaHow much DNA do I need??!! This is one of the most common questions that we receive, and the answer often times is...it depends. As you can expect, the amount of DNA needed is dictated by sequencing instrument and project type. If you are interested in genome or metagenome sequencing on any of the Illumina sequencers such as the Illumina MiSeq or Illumina NovaSeq, the recommended amount of DNA is 50 ng-500 ng. If the genome you are trying to sequence is large or complex, we strongly recommend submitting at least 100 ng of good quality gDNA. Good quality DNA will be free of EDTA, organic contaminants, such as phenol and ethanol, and other inhibitors that may interfere with successful library preparation or DNA sequencing.

 

But What if I dont't have 50ng of gDNA??? There is no need to worry, there are low DNA input options!!! For small microbial genomes, we can accept as little as 1 ng of gDNA. It is important to note that there will be some optimization required for low-input samples which may increase cost. So, while low-input genome sequencing is possible, we do recommend multiple gDNA extractions if the first attempt did not yield as much DNA as originally expected.

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