DNA sequencing memo: 'no match in any reference database'

The lab letterhead was clipped before scanning. The conclusion was not. No significant alignment against any reference genome available to the analyst.

Type: DOCUMENT
Date of Record: 2002-09-17
Source: Unattributed biotech laboratory memo

Abstract

Internal memo on lab letterhead with masthead removed, summarizing sequencing results from sample VRG-A. Memo states the sample is biological, structurally intact, and produces no significant alignment against any reference genome available to the analyst. Memo recommends external review and immediate sample isolation.

Artifact Inventory

Sample designation: VRG-A
Conclusion: No significant alignment to any reference genome
Memo length: 1 page
Letterhead status: Removed prior to leak

Provenance of the memo

The memo was passed to an independent researcher in 2003 by a former contractor at a biotech laboratory who had been asked to perform a sequencing run on a numbered sample without being told its origin. The contractor stated that the sample had been delivered in person, in a sealed cooler, by a courier who waited for the run to complete and then left with the original material.

Findings recorded in the memo

The memo confirms that the sample was biological and structurally intact, that the extraction yielded usable nucleic acid, and that the sequence reads passed standard quality controls. The alignment step against the reference databases available to the analyst at the time produced no significant matches in either nuclear or mitochondrial sequence space.

The memo recommends "external review by an institution with access to reference panels beyond ours" and "immediate isolation of remaining sample volume pending such review." The recommendation block is the only part of the memo with the analyst's initials.

What happened next