Sequence-Based Genotyping Brings Agrigenomics to a Crossroads

Today, agrigenomics researchers have a wide variety of technologies at their disposal for collecting genetic information. Array-based approaches to SNP screening have been the method of choice in analyzing and associating traits with regions of the genome for many plants and animals. As sequencing costs continue to decline, new approaches that leverage next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology are being developed to perform genotyping studies. The term next-generation sequencing–based genotyping (NGG), or sequence-based genotyping, encompasses genotyping methods that leverage NGS technology. NGG includes targeted, reduced representation, and hybridization-based approaches to discover and genotype SNPs, often simultaneously in many individuals or specimens. This application spotlight provides insight into different NGG methods, their benefits, and the role that conventional array technology will play in the future.