An Overview of the Second and Third-Generation of DNA Sequencing Technologies

DNA sequence determination is a tremendous human achievement. DNA sequencing includes several methods and technologies in use for determining the order of the nucleotide bases in a molecule of nucleic acid. Knowledge of DNA sequences has become indispensable for the basic biological researches. Nucleotides sequence determination is used in numerous applied fields such as diagnostics, biotechnology, forensic biology and biological systematics. The advent of DNA sequencing has significantly accelerated biological researches and discoveries.
There are several generations of DNA sequencing technologies that can be well characterized through their nature and the kind of output they provide. Dideoxy terminator sequencing developed by Sanger dominated for 30 years and was the workhorse used for the Human Genome Project. In 2005 the first 2nd generation sequencer was presented with an output orders of magnitude higher than Sanger sequencing and dramatically decreased cost. We are now at the dawn of the 3rd generation of sequencing systems.
Researchers in the field of genetics in Iran use this technology in their studies, but unfortunately our literature lacks proper Persian language resources. This review briefly describes the current high-throughput nucleotide sequencing platforms commercially available.