Genome sequencing is similar to decoding DNA—much like solving a puzzle. It's a complex process of learning about the order of DNA nucleotides. DNA is made up of four bases that act like building blocks. They include adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Human genomes contain more than three billion bases. To perform genome sequencing, scientists break the long strings of bases into smaller parts to sequence before reassembling the structure to get the sequence of the entire genome. It's widely used in a clinical setting to better understand the pathology of diseases. It also has the potential to improve diagnostics, treatments, and therapies.
If you're interested in better understanding human genetics, genome sequencing is a valuable subject to study. It provides you with deep insight into human ailments, diseases, and patterns of inheritance. If you're interested in subjects like antimicrobial resistance, bioinformatics, and genomic technologies, gaining a solid foundation in the principles and tools of genome sequencing is essential. It's an effective way to begin a new career or to gain advanced skills and knowledge to further your existing career.
Learning about genome sequencing can prepare you for a variety of jobs, including genomics researcher, technology developer, computational genomics data scientist, bioinformatics software professional, genomic medicine clinician, and clinical geneticist. Gaining the skills and knowledge for these types of careers empowers you to make a difference in people's lives by taking an active role in prenatal genetic screening, performing genetic testing for people with family histories of certain cancers, and having the opportunity to study rare diseases. You might work in an educational setting, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or the government.