Marker-assisted selection (MAS) refers to the use of molecular markers to assist phenotypic selections in crop improvement. Several types of molecular markers, such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), have been identified and effectively used in plant breeding. The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has led to remarkable advances in whole genome sequencing, which provides ultra-throughput sequences to revolutionize plant genotyping and breeding. To further broaden NGS usages to large crop genomes such as maize and wheat, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) has been developed and applied in sequencing multiplexed samples that combine molecular marker discovery and genotyping. GBS is a novel application of NGS protocols for discovering and genotyping SNPs in crop genomes and populations. The GBS approach includes the digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzymes followed by the ligation of barcode adapter, PCR amplification and sequencing of the amplified DNA pool on a single lane of flow cells. Bioinformatic pipelines are needed to analyze and interpret GBS datasets. As an ultimate MAS tool and a cost-effective technique, GBS has been successfully used in implementing genome-wide association study (GWAS), genomic diversity study, genetic linkage analysis, molecular marker discovery and genomic selection under a large scale of plant breeding programs.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is the technology used primarily for infertility treatments in order to achieve pregnancy. With the increasing demands of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), the safety inspection of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the prevention of pathogenesis in sterility, the application of gene sequencing technology in ART, and the diagnosis of infertility-related diseases have significantly increased. The development and principles of gene sequencing technology, the application of gene sequencing in PGT, the application of whole genome sequencing in ART-conceived children, and the application of whole genome sequencing in infertility-related disorders have been summarized in this review.