GenoFest

Genomics Technology 2024: The sequencing revolution is now.

Friday, October 4, 2024, 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM  
Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Building   
 
GenoFest recordings (x.500 accessible)

The UMN Genomics Center is hosting our 12th Annual GenoFest on Friday, October 4. This informative open house is for the UMN research community to learn about emerging trends in genomics technologies and future plans for the UMGC. This year’s event will be particularly exciting. Please come join us!

After several years of modest, incremental evolution in NGS instrumentation, revolutionary innovation is back. We will highlight the new sequencers from Element Biosciences (the AVITI and AVITI24) and Ultima Genomics (the UG 100) that are now – or will soon be – available to the UMN community. The AVITIs and the UG 100 – both representing a top-to-bottom re-thinking of sequencing hardware and chemistry – offer dramatic improvement in sequence quality, significant cost reduction, and an ability to turn around expedited projects much faster and more cheaply than in the past. We are pleased to announce that the founders of Element and Ultima will be on hand to explain their technologies and roadmaps. 
  
Get your GenoFest Passport ready! Registrants who attend the morning presentations and visit six tables at the Genomics Resource Fair will be entered to win $5,000 in services from the UMGC (UMN researchers only). 

This event is free and open to the public – any researchers and support staff who are interested in learning more about the UMGC and the genomic resources available to support their research are encouraged to attend. 

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Registration

Presentations and door prize
Advanced registration is required and is limited to 125 attendees. Optional lunch will be available starting at 12:30 PM. Morning coffee will be available. Registration is required to receive a GenoFest Passport and be entered into the drawing for $5,000 in services. 

Registration

Genomics Resource Fair (9:00 AM - 2:30 PM) 
Registration is not required for the fair. Researchers who want to skip the presentations and door prize are welcome to stop by the CCRB atrium at any time and sign in at the main CCRB entrance. 

Agenda

Morning Part 1 (8:30 AM - 11:15 AM)    
8:30 AM - Coffee & Check In          
9:00 AM - Kenny Beckman, UMGC Director - "NGS Sequencing 2024: The Revolution Is Now"    
9:30 AM - Molly He, CEO and cofounder, Element Biosciences - "Behind the scenes of AVITI’s past, present, and future"
10:10 AM - Lara Toerien, VP, Ultima Genomics - "Multiomics at scale: advancing health and science through innovation"
10:50 AM - Coffee Break*          

Morning Part 2 (11:15 AM - 12:30 PM)   
11:15 AM - Mark Consugar, Lead FAS, Biomodal - "The power of the 6-base genome for transformative insights into current and future states of disease"
11:55 AM - UMGC scientists - "UMGC Lightning Talks: Real-world data on the AVITI, UG 100, Biomodal, Tapestri, Levicell, Singulator and Curio platforms"  

Afternoon (12:30 PM - 2:30 PM)   
12:30 PM - Lunch and optional lab tour*     
1:30 PM - Resource Fair and optional lab tour*     
2:30 PM - Adjourn 

Abstracts

*Indicates times for presentation attendees to attend the Genomics Resource Fair, which is open to everyone from 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM. 

Genomics Resource Fair

15 tables hosted by technical experts will be available. Registration is not required for the fair. Researchers are welcome to stop by the CCRB atrium between 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM and sign in at the main CCRB entrance. 

GenoFest 2024 vendor logos

Door Prize

To be entered in the door prize drawing for $5,000 in UMGC services, attendees must:

  1. Register for GenoFest. 
  2. Pick up your GenoFest Passport at morning check-in. 
  3. Attend the “Morning Part 1” presentations by Kenny Beckman, Ultima Genomics, and Element Biosciences. 
  4. Collect six stamps in your GenoFest Passport from the vendor tables at the Genomics Resource Fair or the UMGC lab tour. 
  5. Submit your completed passport when you are leaving GenoFest. 

  
Eligibility and conditions:

  1. UMN researchers can participate (PIs, post-docs, grad students, doctoral and staff researchers, but not undergraduates).
  2. $5,000 in UMGC services is for one project and is not restricted to a particular service. The $5,000 includes reagents and UMGC labor. Samples must be submitted by Monday, June 30, 2025. 

Location and Parking

Location: 
GenoFest is hosted in the Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Building (2231 6th 
St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455) located on the East Bank of the University of 
Minnesota. Check-in will be available at the main entrance. 

Parking: 
For parking near CCRB, we suggest parking in the Maroon and Victory daily lots ($6/day without in/out privileges) located across the street. 

Additional transportation options: 
The Metro Green Line (Light Rail) and select campus buses have stops near CCRB. A variety of detailed campus maps can help you navigate to CCRB.

Contact [email protected] with event questions.