Webinar: How well do you actually know your plasmid? Long-read plasmid sequencing and what it changes for researchers.

Sep 4, 2026

Description:

"Approximately 30% of the plasmids we receive contain some sequence discrepancies that require feedback from the depositors," says Addgene's senior QC manager regarding the importance of whole plasmid sequence verification.

Plasmid errors are more common than most researchers expect, and can result in consequences such as failed cloning, irreproducible results, and wasted time and resources. Yet many labs still rely on sequencing approaches that reveal only part of the picture.

This webinar, co-hosted by Addgene and Plasmidsaurus, gives bench scientists a practical grounding in plasmid sequencing methods covering what Sanger sequencing, short-read next generation sequencing (NGS), and long-read sequencing each reveal, where they can fall short, and why whole-plasmid long-read sequencing is becoming the standard for sequence verification.

Attendees will leave with a clearer framework for choosing the right sequencing approach for their work, knowing what to look for when sequencing data comes back, and recognizing the warning signs that a plasmid may have a problem.

Learning objectives:

Compare Sanger, short-read, and long-read sequencing methods and learn the structural features of plasmids each method is and is not able to detect.
Identify sequencing quality indicators, including accuracy metrics such as consensus Q-scores, and apply these to evaluate sequencing results for common plasmid verification workflows.
Understand the appropriate sequencing approach for a given experimental use case, including routine cloning verification and high-fidelity construct validation.