The machine would allow the university's High Throughput DNA Sequencing Unit to do the small-scale projects sought by most New Zealand researchers, Dr Stanton, the unit director, said.
Gene sequencing allows scientists to examine the genetic instructions which exist in all humans, animals, plants and bacteria.
Sequencing is now used routinely in many fields of research including human health and disease, forensics, and agricultural and environmental genomics.
Otago's unit was set up about three years ago and used a government grant to buy a $1 million Roche sequencing machine manufactured in the United States.
It is about the size of an office filing cabinet.
Dr Stanton said as soon as she saw the company was bringing out a smaller version, she knew it would be perfect for New Zealand.
"The big machine can run up to 16 projects at a time, but we have seen a growing demand for small-scale sequencing projects which do not require a full instrument run but which are too large for traditional sequencing methods.
Having the GS Junior means we can do a single project at a time, up to one each week if required."
That would pay dividends for researchers, who would be able to get their results within two weeks rather than having to wait until enough projects had amassed to justify running the large machine, she said.
The smaller machine also has another bonus.
It has a smaller price tag of about $NZ175,000.
Otago was the first organisation in the world to order one of the machines, which have only just started to come the production line, Dr Stanton said.
"At the time ours was being installed about three weeks ago there were only about 20 installed anywhere in the world."
The Otago unit runs as a business enterprise, carrying out work for academic and private clients from throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Dr Stanton said staff were talking to potential clients in many other parts of the world too, including the US, Japan, Turkey and several South American countries.
As gene-sequencing technology rapidly improved and became more affordable, many more researchers would use gene-sequencing data in their work, Dr Stanton predicted.
"This really is a revolutionary field. It's very exciting."
