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Aneuploidy is the abnormality in the number of chromosomes by the presence of one or more extra chromosomes or the absence of one or more chromosomes. Embryos that carry some type of aneuploidy, such as the loss of one X chromosome (Turner syndrome), extra copies of autosomes, like trisomies of autosome 21 (Down syndrome), 13 (Patau syndrome), and 18 (Edwards syndrome), or extra sex chromosomes such as 47, XXY (Klinefelter syndrome) and 47, XXX (Triple X syndrome), can survive to term with birth defects1. Aneuploidy is the primary cause of first trimester miscarriages and in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure2. It is reported that the aneuploidy rate could range from 25.4%-84.5% through the different age layers of the natural cycle and medicated control group in IVF practice3.
Next-generation sequencing technology is becoming wildly applied in the determination of genetic information clinically; it provides practical access to genome sequence with efficiency and high throughput. Particularly, next-generation sequencing also revolutionized the diagnosis of disorders with genetic factors and tests for abnormity in the genome4. Using semiconductor sequencing technology to directly transfer chemical signals in sequencing bio-reaction into digital data, the semiconductor-based sequence system provides a direct, real-time detection to sequence data in 3-7 h5,6.
In an IVF procedure, pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) investigates the genetic profile of the embryo before being transferred into the uterus to improve the IVF outcome and reduce the risk of genetic disorders in newborns1,7. In PGT combined with NGS techniques, genetic material extracted from less than 10 cells is amplified with whole genome amplification kits or an independently developed whole genome amplification reagent. This requires only one step in the amplification phase and does not require pre-amplification, to obtain whole-genome amplification products. Primers or panels for copy number variant and special gene loci sequencing are designed and applied in the library constructed.
A typical workflow of pre-implantation genetic testing-aneuploidy (PGT-A) in NGS involves serial procedures, and requires an intense workload of laboratory personnel8. Some misoperation caused procedure roll-back may lead to undesired loss of both time and resources of the lab. A concise and clear standard operating procedure (SOP) for PGS-NGS workflow is helpful; however, word-format protocols cannot present more detailed information on sample processing, device manipulation, and instruments' settings, which can be visualized in a video protocol. In this article, a validated workflow combined with a visualized demonstration of operating detail could offer more direct and intuitive referring protocols in PGT practice on a semiconductor sequencing platform.
The protocol here describes a method that supports batching up to 16 embryo biopsies in parallel. For larger batches, it is recommended to use a commercial kit-based protocol for semiconductor sequencing, such as Reproes-PGS.