Operational streamlining in a high-throughput genome sequencing center

Advances in medicine rely on accurate data that is rapidly provided. It is therefore critical for the Genome Sequencing platform of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to continually strive to reduce cost, improve throughput, and increase the quality of its data output. In the past, new technology in the form of both chemistry improvements and robotics has allowed the Institute to achieve these goals in a step-wise manner. However, as the rate of technology progression in sequencing has slowed, the Institute has been forced to look to continuous, incremental improvement in order to achieve its goals. The Core Sequencing/Detection group handles the high-throughput sequencing duties at the Broad Institute. Through the use of robotics and cutting edge biology, they are able to process and sequence upwards of 50 billion bases of DNA per year. The work that this thesis was based on took place primarily in this automated production area. This thesis utilizes a number of lean concepts, including the 7 Wastes and pull production control.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Person, Kerry P. (Kerry Patrick)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jeremie Gallien and Charles L. Cooney.

• Sloan School of Management.
• Chemical Engineering.
• Leaders for Manufacturing Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37248

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/37248