What is Sanger Sequencing and Why It Remains the Gold Standard
Sanger sequencing, developed by Frederick Sanger in 1977 and also known as Chain‑termination or Dideoxy Sequencing, remains the benchmark for high‑precision DNA analysis. The approach uses labelled dideoxy nucleotides to terminate DNA synthesis at defined bases, generating fragment length patterns that directly reveal nucleotide order. Because each termination event corresponds to a specific base, Sanger sequencing delivers exceptionally accurate base calls commonly achieving up to 99.99% accuracy for single‑nucleotide variants and small indels.
Its targeted nature provides deep, unambiguous coverage of defined genomic regions, making it ideal for confirmatory testing, variant validation, and focused diagnostic assays where precision is critical. Although next‑generation sequencing platforms enable large‑scale, high‑throughput analyses, Sanger sequencing remains indispensable for clinical confirmation and small‑scale research due to its accuracy, interpretability, and broad acceptance by clinical laboratories, regulatory agencies, patent offices, and scientific journals.