Rapid Retrieval of DNA Target Sequences by Primer Extension Capture

There is a widespread need for methods to enrich DNA samples for sequences of interest prior to high-throughput sequencing and to reduce the costs associated with a shotgun approach. While useful for targeting megabase-sized regions in a few samples, hybridization capture approaches such as those using microarrays currently involve bulky handling steps, long incubation times, and high per-sample costs. In contrast, the primer extension capture (PEC) method allows direct selection of small genomic regions from DNA sources within 2 h, with low costs for use with parallel samples. PEC promises useful applications in studies such as ancient DNA or forensic sequencing, taxonomic surveying of metagenomic samples, or genomic mapping of repetitive elements.