Lab Core

The Lab Core unit specializes in metagenome sequencing with several different sequencing platforms. The unit works on a wide range of projects, including internally organized research projects like SweMaMi and collaborations with international researchers from all over the world. The Lab Core facilities are BSL-2 level laboratories, where research is performed on a large variety of sample types, mainly vaginal swabs, saliva, and fecal samples.

Once a sample has arrived in the facility, it is registered and stored in one of the many -80 freezers. Utilizing automated ultra-high-throughput pipelines, DNA is extracted and sequenced to generate high-quality sequencing data, with all steps registered in our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). With the use of multiplexing techniques, several thousand samples can be sequenced per week. A single sequencing run can produce up to 6 TB of data, enabling important discoveries in various research fields, including microbiome and cancer research. After quality assurance, the data is delivered to the bioinformatics unit.

Furthermore, we constantly work on development projects that aim to improve the quality the output of the Lab Core unit, to assure we are always using the newest and best methods and to customize our protocol for the special needs of our collaborators.

The Lab Core unit is proud of its contributions to these research fields and our ability to improve human health by providing high-quality sequencing data, and are committed to advancing our understanding of the microbiome and its role in human health and disease.