Selecting a LIMS for the Next-Generation Genomics Lab

The evolution of genomics has combined human ingenuity with rightplace/ right-time serendipity. Certainly the Human Genome Project would never have succeeded without the innovations envisioned and executed by the scientists responsible for the effort. But these successes in turn were made possible by advances in computer processing and storage that provided the bandwidth and throughput to power and run the project. But how well are organizations sizing up the challenge? Most discussions of data management in next-generation sequencing focus on gathering and storing the reams of data generated by instruments. This challenge is not to be dismissed, but it should be considered in tandem with how contextual sample and project information will be used to inform downstream analysis and critical research decision points. Recent commentaries note that while the cost of sequencing has decreased, analysis costs remain high—over half again as much as sequencing alone.