Next-generation sequencing in 2026: overview
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) reads many DNA or RNA fragments in parallel, making it possible to characterize genomes, identify variants and profile microbial communities at scale. Its value depends not only on throughput, but also on accuracy, read length, sample preparation and how quickly results can inform a decision. These trade-offs shape its use in cancer testing, inherited disease, infectious disease surveillance and basic research. Clinical use depends on reliable interpretation as well as the sequencing instrument.
Recent work points to two practical priorities: improving rare-variant detection and making microbial sequencing workflows faster to deploy. In September 2026, Korea University and Ewha University College of Medicine reported high-recovery adapter ligation with Cas9-mediated dimer elimination to improve sensitivity in liquid biopsy. Brown University, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Revvity and Lilac Biosciences described an automated workflow for public-health microbial sequencing. The direction is toward end-to-end workflows, while low-frequency signals, interpretation and implementation remain technical and operational challenges.
- 1Sensitivity at low abundance: High-recovery adapter ligation and Cas9-mediated dimer elimination target a persistent bottleneck: distinguishing rare variants from library-preparation noise.
- 2From reads to response: Automated microbial sequencing workflows reflect a push to turn sequencing data into actionable public-health surveillance more quickly.
- 3Application mix shifts: Infectious disease and microbiology activity grew 35.8% in the latest 12 months, while activity in several other application areas declined.
Top organizations working on next-generation sequencing
Ranked by Linknovate activity score · last 24 monthsThe activity score adds up the relevance of every patent, publication, grant and news item linking an organization to next-generation sequencing. Showing 7 of 3,000 organizations.
| # | Organization | Approach | Signals (24 mo) | Momentum | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Corporate · United States |
Semiconductor sequencing | PUB 23 · NEWS 1,875 | -56% | Thermo Fisher’s Ion Torrent platform uses semiconductor sequencing, detecting hydrogen ions released during DNA synthesis; the company also supplies sequencing instruments, reagents and workflow products. |
| 2 | 
Illumina
Corporate · United States |
Short-read sequencing by synthesis | PAT 14 · PUB 30 NEWS 886 |
-57% | Illumina develops short-read sequencing-by-synthesis platforms and related reagents for research and clinical genomics. |
| 3 | 
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Corporate · United Kingdom |
Nanopore sequencing | PUB 87 · NEWS 421 | -73% | Oxford Nanopore develops scalable nanopore sequencers that read DNA or RNA in real time, supporting long reads and applications from field studies to clinical research. |
| 4 | 
Qiagen
Corporate · Netherlands |
General | PUB 5 · GRANTS 1 NEWS 697 |
-54% | QIAGEN supplies sample preparation, assay and bioinformatics products used in next-generation sequencing workflows, including targeted panels and clinical genomic testing. |
| 5 | 
MayoClinic
Research · United States |
General | PUB 377 · NEWS 34 | +1% | Mayo Clinic researchers use NGS in clinical and translational work, including HLA allele identification, transplant risk assessment and tumor characterization. |
| 6 | 
Agilent Technologies
Corporate · United States |
General | PUB 7 · NEWS 641 | -59% | Agilent provides NGS workflow tools, including target enrichment and library preparation products used in genomic research and clinical testing. |
| 7 | 
Hoffmann-La Roche
Corporate · Switzerland |
General | PAT 4 · PUB 23 NEWS 658 |
-47% | Recently, Roche launched its AXELIOS 1 next-generation sequencing platform, designed for configurable laboratory workflows; the sequencing method is not specified. |
| 8 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 9 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 10 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
Startups to watch and leading research centers
Startups to watch 16 total
Element BiosciencesUnited StatesElement Biosciences develops its AVITI sequencing platform and primary-analysis methods for identifying sequencing clusters and calling bases from flow-cell images.- DIDinfectome Inc.ChinaDinfectome develops molecular diagnostic methods, with its clinical work focused on targeted and metagenomic NGS for detecting respiratory and other infections.
Noscendo GmbHGermanyNoscendo develops sequencing-based infectious disease diagnostics, using microbial genome analysis to help identify pathogens in clinical samples.- ··Hidden startupCountryAvailable to registered users, with funding and founding year.
- ··Hidden startupCountryAvailable to registered users, with funding and founding year.
Leading research institutions 2,666 total
Fudan UniversityChinaFudan University researchers use NGS in clinical genetics and tumor diagnostics, and develop computational approaches for typing short tandem repeats from sequencing data.
University of CaliforniaUnited StatesUniversity of California researchers apply NGS in clinical diagnostics and infectious disease studies, including work on urothelial lesions and pediatric pneumonia.
Chinese Academy of Sciences CASChinaChinese Academy of Sciences researchers use NGS in biological and medical studies, including fungal genomics and analysis of gene methylation in glioma.- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
Where next-generation sequencing innovation happens
Share of documents with at least one organization from each country.
Open the interactive map with all 3,000 organizationsMain technical approaches
Last 24 months| Approach | What it is | Documents | Leading organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-read sequencing by synthesis | Fluorescently labeled bases are incorporated during DNA synthesis; it offers accurate, high-throughput reads but struggles to resolve long repeats and structural context. | 994 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
| Semiconductor sequencing | The platform detects hydrogen ions released during DNA synthesis, avoiding optical detection but requiring careful control of signal noise and homopolymer errors. | 204 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Research Report Uk, Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
| Sequencing by ligation | Fluorescently labeled probes are ligated to the template to infer sequence; its multi-base interrogation can improve discrimination but makes workflows more complex. | 192 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies |
| Single-molecule real-time sequencing | A polymerase is monitored as it synthesizes DNA in real time, producing long reads but typically requiring higher input and careful management of per-read accuracy. | 212 |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Illumina |
| Nanopore sequencing | DNA or RNA passing through a pore changes an electrical signal, enabling real-time long reads and portability but demanding robust base-calling and error correction. | 1,859 |
Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina |
Emerging trends
Last 12 months vs previous 36 monthsTerms whose frequency in the last 12 months grew the most compared with the previous 36 months.
Funding and investment
Recent funding rounds
Since 2020, the recorded grant total is $357,379,739 across 450 grants. The dataset also reports $59,177,376,228 across 30 funding rounds; these round records include broad institutional and corporate activity and should not be read as NGS-specific investment.
Patent landscape
Top patent holders · last 24 monthsRecent developments
Latest news, duplicates removed- Sep 2026Dublin, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Australia Precision Genomics Market by Technology, Product & Service, Application, and End User - Trends and Forecasts Till 2035" has been added to…GlobeNewswire - Research Analysis And Reports
- Sep 2026Dublin, Sept. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Metagenomic Markets. Global Market Analysis with Forecasts by Applications, Technologies, Product and User. with Executive and Consultant Guides 2026 to 2030" has been added…GlobeNewswire: Research Analysis And Reports
- Sep 2026Dublin, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Bioanalytical Testing Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Molecule, Test, Workflow, End Use, Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2026-2033" has been added…GlobeNewswire - Industry News on Industrials
- Aug 2026Every person who lives long enough will develop cancer mutations in their blood. By age 70, between 10% and 30% of us carry detectable clones of mutant white blood cells, each descended from a single stem cell that…Medscape NeurologyHeadlines
- Month 20XXHidden developmentAvailable to registered users with alerts enabled.
Frequently asked questions about next-generation sequencing
What companies are working on next-generation sequencing?
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies and QIAGEN are among the largest organizations listed by 24-month document activity, with 1,898, 930, 508 and 703 documents, respectively. Their work spans sequencing platforms, reagents, sample preparation, assays and bioinformatics. The counts indicate activity in the dataset, not a direct measure of market share.
Which next-generation sequencing startups are notable in 2026?
Element Biosciences, Dinfectome Inc. and Noscendo GmbH are three NGS startups identified in the facts. Element Biosciences develops the AVITI platform and primary-analysis methods; Dinfectome works on targeted and metagenomic sequencing for infection detection; Noscendo develops sequencing-based infectious disease diagnostics. Their listed activity offers different signals, from platform development to clinical applications.
Who are the main next-generation sequencing manufacturers or suppliers?
Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Oxford Nanopore Technologies are key platform developers, while QIAGEN and Agilent Technologies supply workflow products. Illumina develops short-read sequencing-by-synthesis platforms; Thermo Fisher Scientific offers its Ion Torrent semiconductor platform; Oxford Nanopore Technologies develops real-time nanopore sequencers. QIAGEN and Agilent provide sample-preparation, assay, library-preparation and target-enrichment tools.
Which universities and research centers lead next-generation sequencing research?
Fudan University, the University of California and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are among the leading research organizations listed, with 463, 502 and 708 documents in the 24-month window, respectively. Their work includes clinical genetics and tumor diagnostics, infectious disease studies, fungal genomics and gene-methylation analysis. These activity figures reflect documents associated with NGS, not a standardized ranking of research quality.
How much funding has next-generation sequencing received?
The facts report $357,379,739 in grants across 450 grants since 2020. They also list $59,177,376,228 across 30 funding rounds, but the round records include general institutional and corporate financing, not only NGS-specific deals. Treat the grant total as the clearer NGS funding indicator, and check each listed award or round before attributing it to sequencing.
Who holds the most next-generation sequencing patents, and is patent activity growing?
Guardant Health leads the listed patent holders with 28 patents in the window, followed by Element Biosciences with 22 and Natera with 20. Patent activity declined 44.0% in the latest 12 months compared with the previous 12 months. These figures describe the activity captured in the facts and do not establish the full size or strength of each organization’s patent portfolio.
What are the latest developments in next-generation sequencing?
Roche announced the AXELIOS 1 platform launch in June 2026, describing configurable workflows for laboratories. In September 2026, Korea University and Ewha University College of Medicine reported adapter ligation and Cas9-mediated dimer elimination for improved sensitivity in liquid biopsy. Recent work also describes an automated microbial sequencing workflow for public-health use, pointing to interest in both assay performance and deployment.
What are the applications of next-generation sequencing?
The listed applications include basic and translational research, cancer genomics, inherited and reproductive health, infectious disease and microbiology, and agriculture and food systems. Basic and translational research has 9,261 documents, while cancer genomics has 3,905. Infectious disease and microbiology activity grew 35.8% in the latest 12 months; the other listed application categories declined over that period.
Which countries lead next-generation sequencing?
China and the United States lead the listed country totals, with 77,274 and 75,634 documents, representing 33.7% and 33.0% of the total, respectively. The United Kingdom follows with 23,462 documents. These figures indicate where associated documents originate in the dataset; they do not measure sequencing capacity, commercial sales or the location of every research collaboration.