Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has seen massive growth as the demand for low-cost sequencing has exploded. Information on NGS, though, is highly technical, and it’s important to go to the right sources to discuss the varying technologies in the field. These are the top 5 Next Generation Sequencing forums in 2016:
SEQanswers is a forum dedicated specifically to the topic of Next Generation Sequencing. It takes up the top two spots on Google for “Next Generation Sequencing forums” for good reason. SEQanswers is a one-stop-shop as it includes a discussion board for many sequencing technologies/companies including Illumina, bioinformatics, platform-agnostic applications, regional communities, personalized genomics, and also a jobs forum. The website has its own wiki with a large range of helpful tools. The Wiki database also has software and developers hubs, it discusses service providers and publications, and provides information on MINSEQE. In addition, a link to a map is included that shows all of the high-throughput sequencers in the world, and the map can be subdivided by platform.
With the slogan “Bioinformatics explained,” Biostars features a design that is similar to Reddit with a variety of topics that can be upvoted and answered. The website goes beyond just the Q&A style discussion board, though, and also provides tutorials, tools, and a job board. The board has an extremely high level of activity with a new post typically going up every hour.
A members-only site, Bioinformatics.org offers a lot of information for NGS professionals. The website’s front page includes summits, conferences, and other events coming up that may be of interest. It has specific hosted groups, a careers section, and links to databases for research. There’s also a forums section that includes news and commentary, as well as a jobs forum to post new opportunities.
Technology Networks – Next-Generation Sequencing differs from the first three communities as it does not have a forum or discussion board section. It does, however, have just about everything else you could want when it comes to NGS, including scientific news, business news, webcasts, market reports, posters, application notes, and upcoming events. It hosts videos that are relevant in the field and outside resources that could be useful. The site offers a free membership that gives access to presentations from international conferences, over 3,000 scientific posters on ePosters, and 35 community newsletters.
While not your traditional forum, we’d be remiss to not include LinkedIn groups, as they offer a large discussion platform for professionals interested in NGS. This LinkedIn Group, for example, has over 37,000 members. The group was designed for people in the field to speak openly about case studies on various pre and post-sequencing applications. The group also includes subgroups including NGS Platforms, Illumina, Pharmacogenomics, and plant, and animal breeding.
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