Bioinformatics for Beginners
Bioinformatics for beginners
It's faster, easier, and more affordable with Illumina
Analyzing NGS data can be easy
Bioinformatics can feel intimidating to biologists. Until recently, analyzing the data from your sequencer required advanced experience in bioinformatics. Many laboratories relied on limited in-house or external bioinformaticians which resulted in lengthy turnaround times. Analyzing and interpreting NGS data continues to be the major inhibitor to insights for many labs. Fortunately, there are many easy-to-use, commercially available analysis and interpretation tools available making NGS data analysis accessible to biologists.
Getting started with bioinformatics
Evaluating bioinformatics solutions involves several considerations:
- Integration and compatibility: Seamless integration with sequencing instruments, software and workflows reduces data transfer issues, streamlining the analysis and discovery process. Compatibility with industry standard formats and protocols ensures interoperability with other tools and resources.
- Accuracy and innovation: Whether purchasing commercial software, or building your own informatics workflow, ensure the algorithms, databases, and pipelines are comprehensive and robust. With the rate of genomic discovery rapidly increasing, having the ability to easily update your workflow with the newest pipelines and innovations will ensure you consistently have high quality results. For commercial solutions, look for evidence of data accuracy though publications, customer testimonials, and independent evaluations.
- Support for multiple applications and use cases: Evaluate the software’s ability to meet your specific research requirements. The ability to support applications across multiple areas of research, configurable workflows, data formats, and multiple deployment options are essential to address the unique challenges of your projects.
- Scalability: Ensure the bioinformatics infrastructure can accommodate your current data volumes and scale seamlessly as your needs grow. A scalable platform is critical for timely analysis and processing large data sets.
For a deeper dive into bioinformatics, download the Gene Expression and Regulation eBook
Benefits of Illumina data analysis tools
Illumina offers intuitive, user-friendly software to easily connect your sequencer. For laboratories just getting started, Illumina provides offerings tailored to single sample reporting, biomarker discovery, and population research. Our tools can be set up to launch immediately after your sequencing run is complete, enabling you to walk away and return to automated insights or reports. Illumina provides easy-to-use visualization tools and the most accurate secondary analysis¹ available to help you get insights you can trust, faster.
Award-winning accuracy
Our analysis software sets new standards for data accuracy, winning industry challenges for the highest precision and overall accuracy as shown in the PrecisionFDA truth challenge.1 When combined with Illumina sequencers, the Illumina Genome is the most accurate on the market.
Comprehensive
Expanding suite of digital solutions powering multiple use cases and applications for research and clinical laboratories.
Connected end-to-end workflows
Illumina Connected Software offers integrated solutions for every step of the NGS workflow, from lab and sample management through interpretation. With reduced manual touchpoints, you'll get deeper insights faster.
Easy to use
Perform intuitive, guided analysis leveraging a curated and comprehensive menu of point-and-click analysis applications and a user-friendly graphical interface.
Secure and shareable
Security and privacy is at the core of Illumina software. Both enterprise cloud and on-premises solutions are built with global and regional regulations in mind. When it comes to sensitive genomic data, Illumina is your trusted partner.
Scales with your research
Our solutions help researchers scale as they grow, from supporting single-sample analysis to population-wide analysis. Researchers can interpret single samples or aggregate data from multiple sources to understand genetic trends and make population-scale discoveries.
"BaseSpace Sequence Hub enables us to analyze, store, and disseminate data without the need of a bioinformatics staff or a server. Without BaseSpace, it would have taken us longer and would have cost more to get this level of data output and operational efficiency."
Featured Illumina software
| Featured software tools | Study types and scale | Bioinformatics experience |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity LIMS Laboratory information management system for automated sample tracking, workflow and data management. |
Regulated labs looking to scale |
Beginners to experts |
| BaseSpace Sequence Hub Simplified run management, monitoring, and bioinformatics analysis. |
Small-scale studies: discovery research |
Beginners |
| Illumina Connected Analytics Powerful bioinformatics software suite that offers highly accurate, comprehensive and ultra-efficient secondary analysis of NGS data from Illumina sequencing systems. |
Large-scale studies such as population studies or clinical research |
Intermediate to experts |
| DRAGEN Secondary Analysis The DRAGEN platform is a secondary analysis software suite that processes NGS data and enables tertiary analysis to drive insights. |
Small-scale to large-scale discovery research, clinical research, and population studies |
Beginners to experts |
| Emedgene Automated insights solution with AI-prioritization that can streamline dry lab workflows for WGS, WES, virtual panels, and targeted panels. |
Supporting small and large labs seeking an operationalized workflow for sample analysis for germline studies |
Beginners to experts |
| Illumina Connected Insights Comprehensive insights and automation to support variant interpretation for diverse applications and variant types at scale. |
Supporting small and large labs seeking an operationalized workflow for sample analysis for oncology studies |
Beginners to experts |
Software analysis pipelines for popular applications using low- and mid-throughput instruments
| Featured DRAGEN pipelines and software tools | Popular applications | Recommended instruments |
|---|---|---|
| DRAGEN RNA Performs mapping and alignment of RNA reads, RNA quatification, gene fusion detection, and small variant calling. |
Gene expression profiling Differential expression analysis Biomarker discovery |
Low- and mid-throughput benchtop sequencers. NextSeq 1000 & 2000 feature onboard data analysis. |
| DRAGEN Targeted Microbial Analyzes Illumina Viral enrichment panels or tiled amplicon kits (COVIDSeq, IMAP) with a few easy clicks on BaseSpace. Provides best match/identification with consensus genomes and coverage plots. |
Microbial/Viral Sequencing |
Low-throughput benchtop sequencers. |
| DRAGEN Enrichment The DRAGEN Enrichment Pipeline combines DRAGEN’s germline and somatic callers into a pipeline designed specifically for analyzing enrichment samples. Includes a full suite of enrichment metrics and reporting. |
Exome sequencing |
Mid-throughput benchtop sequencers with onboard data analysis. |
| Partek Flow Approachable mulitomic analysis solution with an easy-to-use interface, robust statistical algorithms, information-rich visualizations, and genomic tools enabling researchers of all skill levels to confidently perform data analysis. |
Multiomics |
Mid-throughput benchtop sequencers with onboard data analysis. |
| Correlation Engine Correlation Engine is an interactive omics knowledgebase that puts private omics data in biological context with highly-curated public data. |
Multiomics |
Mid-throughput benchtop sequencers with onboard data analysis. |
*Onboard data analysis offerings vary by instrument.
Informatics resources
Making informatics easy for Helix
Hear from William Lee, Vice President of Bioinformatics at Helix and Jessica Gordon, Director of Software Engineering at Illumina as they explain how Helix was able to scale rapidly into one of the largest human exome sequencing operations in the world using BaseSpace Sequence Hub.
The role of informatics and genomics in drug discovery
Slavé Petrovski, head of AstraZeneca's Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, R&D spoke with Illumina to discuss the role of informatics and genomics in drug discovery.
Accuracy improvements in germline small variant calling with DRAGEN
This application note describes recent advancements in the accuracy of germline small variant calling by the DRAGEN platform, as measured against a truth set.
Streamlined workflow management enables sequencing at scale
Learn how the implementation of BaseSpace Clarity LIMS software enables Rapid Novor to future-proof their growing laboratory operations.
Have additional bioinformatics questions?
We’d love to help. Reach out and one of our specialists will be happy to answer your bioinformatics and data analysis questions.
References
- Illumina DRAGEN Secondary Analysis is the first single platform to achieve 99.83% accuracy based on PrecisionFDA v2 Truth Challenge Benchmark Data. Details here.