Capabilities

With extensive expertise in molecular analysis technology, we have developed significant capacity and capabilities, including:

• Nucleic acids extraction techniques from a wide range of matrices
• Sample preservation methodologies
• Nucleic acids amplification technologies:
  • PCR/RT-qPCR
  • Digital droplet PCR
  • LAMP
• Next-generation sequencing:
  • 16S metagenomics
  • Environmental DNA metabarcoding
  • Shotgun sequencing
  • RNA-Seq
• Microarrays Technology (SNPs)

SGS Global Biosciences Center houses a microbiology lab that is uniquely set up to mimic various natural conditions and to test and optimize biological processes. The laboratory provides full flexibility through the utilization of various bioreactor setups, including:

• Packed-bed columns
• Fluidized bed bioreactors
• Biofilm bioreactors
• Stirred-tank bioreactors
• Batch and continuous bioreactor setups
• Anaerobic and aerobic bioreactors systems
• Full process, and control and automated feedback loops

The laboratory offers a host of different analytical equipment to monitor processes and has access to specific equipment, such as ICP, GC-(IR)MS, TIMA, QEMSCAN, SEM, etc., plus molecular technologies to monitor microbial gene expression and perform metagenomics.

In a world that demands faster results to drive decisions, the desire for new technology in remote places, such as natural ecosystems, farms, oil rigs and mine sites, has increased. Already, some sequencing technology can fit in the palm of your hand, connect to a laptop and provide results in minutes. Many of these new technologies are replacing conventional culture-based techniques that take days to execute.

At the SGS Global Biosciences Center, new advances around molecular mobile applications are monitored and field-applications are being actively validated. This ensures that we can deliver the best and most effective technologies anywhere, anytime.

Our bio-informatics capacity enables us to process the vast amount of data that next-generation sequencing provides, using cloud computing to deliver consistent, scalable and rapid results. We also develop auxiliary software solutions to assist in sample program designs, primer development and the integration of large datasets, public databases and meta-datasets. Our analysis does not stop with the sequencing data. We have the capability to leverage the metagenomic and environmental information using machine learning to generate new insights for better conservation and business efforts.

Our bioinformatics and data science competences include:

• 16S metagenomic pipelines for microbiome
• Various prokaryotic and eukaryotic metagenomic (barcode) pipelines
• Shotgun sequencing pipelines
• Biostatistics and advanced data visualizations
• Environmental DNA feasibility pre-screening
• Primer design and in silico testing
• Meta-data integration and spatial mapping
• Supervised and unsupervised machine-learning