Engineering the Future of Somatic Reference Standards: The GIAB‑Based Approach to Reliable NGS Validation

July 16, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

As next-generation sequencing (NGS) becomes increasingly central to precision oncology, the need for reliable, well-characterized, and universally accepted reference materials has never been greater. Historically, laboratories have relied on ad hoc materials ranging from patient specimens to heterogeneous cancer cell lines, all of which lack  the characterization and legal consent required for robust assay development and long-term commercial viability. 

This webinar explores the culmination of a nearly decade-long initiative by the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) to bridge this gap. Experts from industry and government will detail the approach used to select and genetically engineer significant oncology variants into the highly characterized Genome-in-a-Bottle (GIAB) human cell line.  Presenters will share the story behind the project and describe the fabrication strategy, and characterization methods that make these samples uniquely suited to the complexities of oncology testing.

Speakers will include representatives from NIH, CDC, Illumina, Revvity, Emory University, and MDIC’s Somatic Reference Samples initiative.