DNA Sequencing Instruments

Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), founded in 2005 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford and headquartered in Oxford, UK, commercialized nanopore-based DNA and RNA sequencing technology that measures ionic current changes as nucleic acid strands pass through protein nanopores embedded in membranes. The company's defining competitive advantage is the portability and scalability of its instruments: from the pocket-sized MinION that researchers carry into the field, through the high-throughput PromethION for large-scale genome centers, to the GridION for mid-throughput laboratory applications. ONT sequencing generates ultra-long reads, routinely exceeding 100 kb and occasionally surpassing 1 Mb, enabling contiguous assemblies of complex genomes and resolution of large structural variants. The platform directly sequences RNA without reverse transcription, preserving native base modifications including m6A methylation and pseudouridine. Rapid library preparation protocols allow sequencing to begin within 10 minutes of sample collection, which has been transformative for outbreak genomics and point-of-care diagnostics applications during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent surveillance programs. ONT's adaptive sampling (ReadFish) software selectively sequences genomic regions of interest in real time, enriching targets without physical capture. The company's open-source community around Guppy/Dorado basecallers and Medaka consensus polishing tools has driven rapid advances in accuracy and accessibility.