PROJECT SUMMARY – CORE B Next generation sequencing is a central tool in the analysis of signaling pathways important in development and disease. The Genome Sequencing Core (GSC) was established in Phase 1 of the CMADP to provide researchers at the University of Kansas and the state of Kansas with next-generation sequencing technologies as well as expertise in experimental design and analysis of sequence data. Projects in the GSC include whole genome assembly, genome re-sequencing for identification of mutations important in development and disease, transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq), variant mapping and genotyping, and identification of transcription factor interaction sites using chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with DNA sequencing (ChIP seq). The GSC houses Illumina MiSeq and NextSeq 550 sequencers with dedicated processor and storage space to run the instruments. To keep the GSC on the cutting edge of technology, a NextSeq 2000 instrument will be installed in the summer of 2021 to enhance and expand services. Next generation sequencing is an enabling technology in that it has the power to allow investigators from many different disciplines to ask new questions in their research areas of interest. The GSC enables genomics research at the University of Kansas by eliminating the barriers of cost and communication involved with using off-campus facilities. The GSC has been utilized by a broad user base at the University of Kansas, including Molecular Biosciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Natural History Museum, Engineering, Pharmacy, and the KU Medical Center. Researchers at other universities in Kansas, including Kansas State University, Wichita State University, and Fort Hays State University have used the GSC. The GSC works with other IDeA program projects including the K-INBRE and the CBID COBRE. This broad and diverse user base will be key to the future sustainability of the GSC after Phase 3 as a University Core Research Laboratory.