Next Genetic Center (NGC), a genetic disease diagnostic center is one of the top laboratories in Turkey that specializes in genetic diagnosis and personalized medicine for international markets. With the goal to reach the service and standardization that can compete with the world, NGC is committed to providing the highest quality, most reliable and most accessible services with its technological infrastructure and scientific team that closely follows and contributes to scientific developments.

Together with MGI's local distributor Invitrotek, we recently spoke with Dr. Ahmet Uludağ, Co-founder of NGC, a medical doctor and an associate professor in medical genetics, about their user experience with MGI platforms DNBSEQ-G400RS* and DNBSEQ- G50RS Genetic Sequencer* since 2019 as one of the earliest users in Turkey.

Molecular biologist, Tugce Acar (left) and Dr. Ahmet Uludağ, Co-founder of NGC (right)

MGI: What type of projects are you running on MGI platforms DNBSEQ-G400RS* and DNBSEQ- G50RS Genetic Sequencer*?

Dr. Ahmet Uludağ: We are mainly running genetic testing projects on the instruments. As the first laboratory in Turkey to routinely perform tests such as Whole Exome Sequencing, Tumor Mutation Burden, Liquid Biopsy and Tumor Profiling to offer clinic-specific genetic solutions, we are currently one of the leading laboratories in the market in terms of report quality, report turn-around time and easy accessibility to genetic counseling.

MGI: What were the key challenges or pain points you were facing in your work in NGS?

Dr. Ahmet Uludağ: At first, it seemed like a disadvantage for us to introduce a new technology platform. While we are always passionate about trying new technologies and products with an open mind, which is also the reason why we established the Next Genetic Center in the first place. More importantly, we believe that any great technology will eventually prove itself, and it needs to start somewhere anyways.

In the very beginning, it has also been a challenge for us to convince our customers to accept this new technology. We went through a period of prejudice; but we work very closely with our customer to provide swift service action whenever they have any concerns. Meanwhile, MGI innovative platforms DNBSEQ-G400RS* and DNBSEQ- G50RS Genetic Sequencer* can provide even better-quality data results at a more effective and labor-saving way. It also helps to reassure them, so in other words, we convinced our customers not just with our words, but also with tangible scientific evidence.

MGI: How do you see the differences in MGI platform compared to other NGS platforms you have used before?

Dr. Ahmet Uludağ: We are acknowledged that next generation sequencing is a very niche field that has high technology threshold. Before we decided to use MGI's platforms, we had careful evaluation on the data performance as it is a very important factor for us in the health service industry. We are pleased to find that we can obtain more stable and more accurate data results with MGI's innovative technology and products when comparing with other NGS platforms. In addition, it has been a challenge for us to find out what the real problems are when a run fail using other sequencing platforms. We, however, have never encountered any of these issues with MGI platforms.

Meanwhile, we are impressed that MGI service team and Invitrotek's field team have been providing the technical support and follow-up action quickly whenever needed to guarantee a streamlined workflow. It has always been a difficult for us before we seek help from MGI.

MGI: What's your experience with MGI DNBSEQ^TM platforms in WES/CES application?

Dr. Ahmet Uludağ: We are happy that MGI DNBSEQ^TM platforms are compatible with multiple different kits in the market. The fact that good third-party compatibility is a big, unexpected bonus for us. MGI DNBSEQ-G400RS* is built with a new Flow Cell system that can flexibly support a variety of different sequencing modes. It adopts optimized optical and biochemical systems, which can complete the sequencing process rapidly to provide us with a more streamlined sequencing experience. While DNBSEQ-G50RS* is a compact and flexible benchtop genetic sequencer that creates an ideal balance between speed and affordability. We are excited that MGI's technology improves the speed, efficiency, and affordability of the laboratory workflow in a whole.

MGI: Would you like to work with MGI platforms in the future? And why?

Dr. Ahmet Uludağ: It's been a pleasure to work with MGI, and of course, we would love to keep partnership with MGI. Scientifically, it is very important that MGI supports us in this regard. MGI has an extensive product portfolio covering many areas, and we believe we can provide fast, efficient and quality solutions in areas such as oncology genetic applications empowered by MGI's innovative technologies and platforms.

MGI: what do you expect to achieve together with MGI in the future?

Dr. Ahmet Uludağ: We would like to thank both MGI and Invitrotek team very much for their support. MGI has a strong local technical team to offer on-the-ground support for us and has led us to a new era with its innovative technology, products, and professionalism. I believe we and the Human Genome Sciences (HGS) itself in general will reach to the next level with the support of MGI technologies and products. We are open to contributing our knowhow and experience to MGI in the process of testing and validating new kits for better advancement.

About NGC

NGC was established in Istanbul in 2017 with its expert and competent team. NGC Genetic Diseases Diagnostic Center is a genetic diseases diagnosis center specialized in genetic diagnosis and personalized medicine for international markets. It offers the most modern tests and methods of medical genetics in a simple and accessible way, with the vision of new generation genetics. NGC is committed to continuously providing the highest quality, most reliable and most accessible service with its expert staff.

About Invitrotek

Invitrotek (IVT) is a sales & marketing company focused on molecular diagnostics and genetic testing market in Turkey. Established in January 2009, IVT team brings the company's core competency into existence with their market expertise and field knowledge. Having high-quality after-sales support is among the most important success factors in Turkish IVD market. IVT has a highly experienced Product Support and Technical Services department and has a training program in place for sub-dealers. IVT's well-established distribution network consisting of direct sales force and well-respected regional dealers, is another important asset to contribute to high market penetration.

*Unless otherwise informed, all sequencers and sequencing reagents are not available in Germany, USA, Spain, UK, Hong Kong, Sweden, Belgium, and Italy.