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The REvolutionary Approaches and Devices for Nucleic Acid analysis (READNA) project received funding from the European Commission for 41/2 years. The objectives of the project revolved around technological developments in nucleic acid analysis. The project partners have discovered, created and developed a huge body of insights into nucleic acid analysis, ranging from improvements and implementation of current technologies to the most promising sequencing technologies that constitute a 3(rd) and 4(th) generation of sequencing methods with nanopores and in situ sequencing, respectively., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Nucleic acid sequencing is the mainstay of biological research. There are several generations of DNA sequencing technologies that can be well characterized through their nature and the kind of output they provide. Dideoxy terminator sequencing developed by Sanger dominated for 30 years and was the workhorse used for the Human Genome Project. In 2005 the first 2nd generation sequencer was presented with an output orders of magnitude higher than Sanger sequencing and dramatically decreased cost. We are now at the dawn of 3rd generation with nanopore systems that are being developed for DNA sequencing. Meanwhile the field is also broadening into applications that complement 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation sequencing systems to get high resolution genetic information. The REvolutionary Approaches and Devices for Nucleic Acid analysis (READNA) consortium funded by the European Commission under FP7 has made great contributions to the development of new nucleic acid analysis methodology., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin disease. Recent studies have reported that common genetic factors may underlie both skin and immune-mediated disorders. We hypothesized that such genes may be involved in susceptibility to psoriasis, and undertook an association analysis of 22 candidate genes in a set of French high-risk psoriasis families. One hundred fifty-three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped and the transmission of alleles in nuclear families was analyzed using the FBAT (family-based association test). To further investigate suggestive associations, LNM (logistic-normal models) and MQLS (modified quasi-likelihood score) methods, which take the whole pedigree structure information of families into consideration, were also applied. Our study supported the involvement of six candidate genes in susceptibility to psoriasis: SCL12A8, which belongs to the solute carrier gene family; FLG and TGM5, which are involved in epidermal differentiation; CARD15 and CYLD, which modulate the transcription factor NF-kB; and IL1RN, which encodes an IL receptor antagonist. Furthermore, we found evidence for interaction between the major risk allele, HLA-Cw6, and CARD15, CYLD, and TGM5 susceptibility alleles. Taken together, our data show that shared genetic factors may contribute to the etiology of both psoriasis and other skin or immune-mediated disorders.