Genomic Sequencing and Analysis Facility

• UT researchers: email GSAF@utexas.edu with name and EID
• Non-UT Researchers: use Self-register Portal
• Once you have been added to the online portal you will receive two emails with instructions and a link to online portal.
  • Create your security questions before attempting to login.
• GSAF holds a limited number of licenses, if your account is inactive for over 6 months it will be deactivated. All project data is retained in the system, and we can reactivate the account at any time, contact GSAF@utexas.edu to have it reactivated.
• To visit project details without an active account, users may visit this site at any time and type in project number.

• GSAF Online Requester Portal
• Sample Input Guidelines and Instructions

• Illumina NGS projects
  • GSAF uses Illumina’s BaseSpace cloud service for data transfer.
  • Users will set up a BaseSpace account prior to submitting a project. The account listed in the project submitted MUST match the BaseSpace email account.
  • BaseSpace is a cloud-based service, however using the command line can directly download data to your server. Please visit this site or contact GSAF@utexas.edu for assistance.
• Xenium Projects
  • GSAF will contact researcher after project completion to verify location of data transfer. Data is typically transferred to an owned, shared or rented POD.

• Access Sequencing Information Reports
  • With support from the Biomedical Research Computing Facility and Bioinformatics Consulting Group, GSAF provides complimentary fastQC and MultiQC reports for all Illumina NGS data.
    • Data is located under the “Sequencing” tab.
• In addition, GSAF provides trimmed and deduplicated fastq files for all TagSeq projects completed by the facility.
  • Data is located under the “Analysis” tab.
  • If your TagSeq data is not present, contact GSAF@utexas.edu.

A graduate of Southwest Texas State University, Jessica Podnar began her career in cell and molecular biology 19 years ago at a biotech company focused on telomere biology. She joined the GSAF as Lab Manager in 2010, eventually serving as Director. Her extensive experience includes protocol development, adapting to transitions in NGS platforms, lab and personnel management, establishing pricing structures, and setting up the University's COVID testing laboratory. She is an active member of the Association for Biomolecular Resource Facilities and a previous member and former chair of the DNA Sequencing Research Group.

Email: jessicapodnar@utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.118

Gabriella Huerta manages the Illumina sequencing operations and contributes to all aspects of the genomic sequencing enterprise. She ensures maximum quality for complex sequencing runs by closely monitoring every library barcode, concentration, and quality control metric. Huerta also brings prior experience running NGS operations at Perlegen Sciences and Pfizer.

Email: ghuerta@utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.264

Sylvie Beaudenon-Huibregtse is a PhD scientist with extensive experience in both academia and industry, specializing in projects that benefit patient healthcare. She began her career at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, characterizing oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) included in FDA-approved cervical cancer tests. Her academic research continued in the U.S. at Harvard Medical School and Rutgers University before she transitioned to industry, where she led the development of a successfully commercialized molecular test for thyroid cancer. She returned to UT Austin in 2020 to lead the university’s COVID-19 testing lab to CLIA compliance and joined GSAF in 2023. She currently performs methylation arrays (Illumina EPIC) and is responsible for managing the spatial transcriptomics platforms, Visium HD and Xenium.

Email: sylvie.beaudenon@austin.utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.264

Holly Stevenson is a PhD scientist who currently operates the Illumina NovaSeq sequencer and manages single-cell sequencing studies for the GSAF. Her prior experience focused on molecular protocols for cancer genetics research, including her time as a graduate student and postdoc. She subsequently served five years as a Biologist at a core facility for the National Cancer Institute, where she prepared Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) libraries and implemented microarrays for research and clinical studies. Since joining GSAF in 2017, she has assisted in expanding new services, including TagSeq and 10x Genomics single-cell technologies, and aids customers in project planning and troubleshooting.

Email: holly.stevenson@utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.264

Sean Vargas earned a master’s degree in biology from The University of Texas at San Antonio and brings extensive experience in NGS and molecular biology. His technical expertise includes single-cell RNA sequencing of germ cells and advanced NGS library preparation methods. Vargas is passionate about emerging single-cell and spatial transcriptomics techniques and is committed to leveraging these tools to drive innovation in biological research. His approachable and collaborative style makes him a valuable resource for colleagues and research partners alike.

Email: sean.vargas@austin.utexas.edu

Maddie Dwortz is a Ph.D. scientist with a background in neuroscience and molecular biology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan, where she gained research experience in both laboratory and field settings and developed a strong interest in how genes and environment interact to shape behavior across species. After graduation, she spent a year with the U.S. Geological Survey studying plant biology and invasive species. She earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience at The University of Texas at Austin, studying the neural mechanisms of social perception and chemosensory communication in rodents. Her work integrated behavioral and multi-omic approaches, including single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses. She also contributed to the development and optimization of single-nucleus protocols for human psychiatric research.

At GSAF, Dwortz specializes in NGS-based single-cell and spatial transcriptomic workflows, including the Visium HD and Xenium platforms from 10x Genomics, and supports researchers in tissue processing, imaging, and experimental planning.

Email: mdwortz@utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.264

Coral Loockerman manages sample preparation for Illumina sequencing at GSAF, specializing in various DNA and RNA library preparation methods and operating the NextSeq sequencer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in forensic genetics from Sam Houston State University. Prior to joining GSAF, she managed academic labs for four years at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and UT, focusing on marine genomics projects across a variety of organisms, from soft corals to whales.

Email: coral.loockerman@utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.264

Robin Breese is a Research Assistant at the GSAF, where they focus on quality control and qPCR instrument training through the Shared Instrument Facility. Breese is a recent graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a specialization in Genetics and Genomics. They joined the GSAF after completing a biotechnology course and a successful internship. They are currently expanding their technical expertise into advanced sequencing library preparation.

Email: nlb986@my.utexas.edu
Office: NMS 1.264

Andrew Villarreal is a University of Texas at Austin graduate who joined the Center for Biomedical Research Support in 2015. He has over 15 years of experience in business operations, shipping and receiving, and provides support by processing invoices, internal vouchers and purchasing for various CBRS core facilities.

Email: andrew.villarreal@utexas.edu
Office: FNT 1.112A