Table 1.

Comparison of performance, strengths and weaknesses of promising sequencing platforms.

Platform\instrument	Throughput range (Gb)	Read length (bp)	Strength	Weakness
Sanger sequencing
ABI 3500/3730	0.0003	Up to 1 kb	Read accuracy and length	Cost and throughput
Illumina
MiniSeq	1.7–7.5	1 × 75 to 2 × 150	Low initial investment	Run and read length
MiSeq	0.3–15	1 × 36 to 2 × 300	Read length, scalability	Run length
NextSeq	10–120	1 × 75 to 2 × 150	Throughput	Run and read length
HiSeq (2500)	10–1000	1 × 50 to 2 × 250	Read accuracy, throughput, low per sample cost	High initial investment, run length
HiSeq 3000/HiSeq 4000	105–1500	2 × 50 to 2 × 150	Read accuracy, throughput, low per sample cost	High initial investment, run and read length
NovaSeq 5000/6000	2000–6000	2 × 50 to 2 × 150	Read accuracy, throughput, low per sample cost	High initial investment, run and read length
IonTorrent
PGM	0.08–2	Up to 400	Read length, speed	Throughput, homopolymers
S5	0.6–15	Up to 400	Read length, speed, scalability	Homopolymers
Proton	10–15	Up to 200	Speed, throughput	Homopolymers
Ion GeneStudio S5 prime System (ion 550″ chip)	10–50	Up to 200 (2 runs in one day)	Read length, speed, scalability	Homopolymers
Oxford nanopore
MInION	0.1–1	Up to 100 kb	Read length, portability	High error rate, run length, low throughput
GridION X5	50–100	Up to 1000 kb	The GridION X5 offers real time, long-read, high-fidelity DNA and RNA sequencing.	High error rate
Pacific BioSciences
PacBio RSII	0.5–1	Up to 60 kb(Average 10 kb, N50 20 kb)	Read length, speed	High error rate and initial investment, low throughput
Sequel	5–10	Up to 60 kb(Average 10 kb, N50 20 kb)	Read length, speed	High error rate
Sequel II	9–13	Up to 160 Gb	Read length, speed	Initial investment