Target-enrichment methods allow one to selectively capture genomic regions of interest from a DNA sample prior to sequencing. Several target-enrichment strategies have been developed since the original description of the direct genomic selection (DGS) method in 2005.
Though many techniques have been described for targeted capture, only a few of these have been extended to capture entire exomes. The first target enrichment strategy to be applied to whole exome sequencing was the array-based hybrid capture method in 2007, but in-solution capture has gained popularity in recent years.