ACAAI Board Practice Exam

Whole exome sequencing focuses specifically on examining the complete set of protein-coding genes in an organism's genome, known as the exome. The technology used for this is next-generation sequencing (NGS), which allows for rapid and comprehensive sequencing of large amounts of DNA simultaneously. NGS is highly efficient and cost-effective, making it suitable for analyzing the exome in a high-throughput manner.

The flexibility and scalability of next-generation sequencing are pivotal in whole exome sequencing, as it can produce massive amounts of data quickly, enabling researchers and clinicians to identify genetic variations related to diseases more effectively. This technology has become the standard in genetic research and clinical diagnostics for conditions linked to genetic mutations.

While the Sanger method is a traditional technique for sequencing DNA, it is not practical for sequencing entire exomes due to its slower speed and higher cost when analyzing large numbers of genes. Microarray analysis is utilized for expression profiling and genotyping but does not provide the sequencing capability necessary to analyze all coding regions comprehensively. DNA barcoding is a method used for identifying and classifying species based on their genetic material, but it does not pertain specifically to whole exome sequencing. Thus, next-generation sequencing is the appropriate technology for this purpose.