Detection and identification of transgenic events by next generation sequencing combined with enrichment technologies

Abstract

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is a promising tool for analysing the quality and safety of food and feed products. The detection and identification of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is complex, as the diversity of transgenic events and types of structural elements introduced in plants continue to increase. In this paper, we show how a strategy that combines enrichment technologies with NGS can be used to detect a large panel of structural elements and partially or completely reconstruct the new sequence inserted into the plant genome in a single analysis, even at low GMO percentages. The strategy of enriching sequences of interest makes the approach applicable even to mixed products, which was not possible before due to insufficient coverage of the different genomes present. This approach is also the first step towards a more complete characterisation of agrifood products in a single analysis.