About Us

The GSAF is a full service sequencing core that provides both Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing services, in addition to a library prep and quality check services, open access to equipment and training. The GSAF works directly with the bioinformatics core who can provide assist in any of your analysis needs to data storage solutions.

We are housed in approximately 2,000 square feet of controlled-access laboratory space and are an experienced NGS facility. Launched in 2008, the GSAF currently processes over 10,000 NGS samples per year.

Instruments in our lab:

Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (one)
Illumina MiSeq sequencers (three)
Illumina NextSeq 500 sequencer (two)
Covaris S220 and E220 Adaptive Focused Acoustic shearing devices
Agilent BioAnalyzer 2100
Agilent TapeStation
Invitrogen Qubit fluorimeter and Thermoscientific Fluoroskan
Tecan Evo and Hamilton Nimbus
10x Chromium system
Ion Torrent S5

Lab protocols we are experienced with:

Creation of fragment DNA sequencing libraries for all Illumina next-gen sequencers
Creation of mate-pair sequencing libraries between 1.5kb and 4kb for Illumina next-gen sequencers
Creation of RNA-seq libraries from total RNA, small RNA, and immuno-precipitated RNA for Illumina next-gen sequencers
Creation of amplicon libraries (particularly 16s and ITS regions) for the Illumina next-gen sequencers
Human exome and custom capture with the Agilent SureSelect, Illumina TruSeq, and Nimblegen SeqCap EZ kits
Sample and library QC using the Agilent BioAnalyzer, Picogreen and Ribogreen fluorimetry, qPCR, and spectrophotometry

Computational and software resources:

The bioinformatcis group maintains a wide range of tools for NGS analysis and assembly and can assist with all of your analysis needs, please visit them here.
Need your own server or access to one of ours, here is an explanation of the Biomedical Research Computing services with instructions for getting an account.
In addition, the GSAF uses and works with the TACC bioinformatics group, supporting tools and applications suitable to the TACC environment.
Want to get started? Contact us
New to Unix? Check out some Unix and Perl resources for beginners.

Our Mission and Vision

Vision: The GSAF’s vision is to be a world-class genomic analysis center in terms of data quality, breadth of available methods, and productivity.

Mission: The mission of the Genome Sequencing and Analysis Facility is to provide the best quality analytical results with the best value to life science researchers.

Our People

Jessica Wheeler Podnar
Associate Director
(512) 232-5924
MBB 3.210
gsaf@utgsaf.org

Jessica joined the GSAF in June 2010 as the facility lab manager, when she came on board the core was focused on 454 and SOLiD sequencing but soon transitioned to focus Illumina platforms. She has a wealth of knowledge covering library preparation, sequencing and project planning. She is an active member in the DNA Sequencing Research Group as part of Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities. Prior to joining the university Jessica worked at Sierra Sciences, a biotech company located in Reno NV, 4 years as a researcher and laboratory manager in the cell culture division. She is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University.

Dhivya Arasappan
Bioinformatician
(512) 471-7138
MBB 2.404
darasappan@mail.utexas.edu

Dhivya joined the GSAF team in April 2008 and primarily deals with analysis of Next-gen sequencing data. Prior to joining UT, she was working at the National Center of Toxicological Research, FDA. At FDA, she was involved in analysis of gene expression data. She has a Masters in Bioinformatics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelors in computer science from Anna University, India.

Matt Barnette
Lab Research Assistant
(512) 475-9725

Heather Deiderick
Post-doctoral researcher
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

Cecil Harkey
Lab Research Assistant
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

Gabriella Huerta
Research Scientist
(512) 475-9725

Brief bio...

Ryan Doonan
Research Engineer / Scientist Associate
512-475-7844

dsfcore@austin.utexas.edu

Krystin Samms
Undergraduate Research Assistant
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

David Way
Bioinformatics Assistant
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

Group photos

Group Lunch, August 2012.

Group Lunch, May 2011.

Group photo, Spring 2009

Alumni

Scott Hunicke-Smith, Ph.D.
Former Director

Dr. Hunicke-Smith joined UT Austin in August of 2008 to start next-generation sequencing activities at UT. Prior to joining UT, he was VP and General Manager of the molecular biology Services’ division of Asuragen, a spin-out of Ambion. He joined in Ambion in July of 2003 as Director of Business Development, Instrumentation. He was promoted to Vice President, Business Development in March of 2004 and to Vice President, Ambion Services in September of 2005. Prior to joining Ambion, Dr. Hunicke-Smith served as founder and CEO of GeneMachines, a molecular biology equipment firm, from 1997 through March of 2003. Dr. Hunicke-Smith also served on the Board of Directors of Silicon Genetics, a bioinformatics software firm, from 1998 until Agilent acquired it in 2004. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in the laboratory of Ron Davis in 1997 and is an inventor on seven issued patents. Dr. Hunicke-Smith is currently Vice President for Molecular Diagnostics at Sonic Reference Lab, a division of the multinational Sonic Healthcare. He can be reached at shunickesmith@sonicreferencelab.com.

Charlie Gonzales
Lab Research Assistant
(512-475-7844

Brief Bio

Melanie Weiler
Lab Research Assistant
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

Margaret Lutz
Research Scientist
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

Jillian DeBlanc
Lab Research Assistant
(512) 475-9725

Brief Bio

Heather Jefts
Title: Lab Research Assistant

Brief Bio

Joe Cruz
Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant, Bioinformatics

Brief Bio

Meredith Corley
Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant

Meredith was an undergraduate research assistant in 2009 and 2010 and then worked with the GSAF on her senior honors thesis. She is now a graduate student at the University of North Carolina.