Technical Abstract: The last several years have seen revolutionary advances in DNA sequencing technologies with the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. NGS methods now allow millions of bases to be sequenced in one round, at a fraction of the cost relative to traditional Sanger sequencing, allowing us to address a whole range of biological questions not possible before. As costs and capabilities of these technologies continue to improve, we are only beginning to see the possibilities of NGS platforms. This is developing in parallel to online availability of a wide range of biological datasets and scientific publications, allowing us to address a variety of questions not possible before. As techniques and data sets continue to improve and grow, we are rapidly moving to the point where every organism, not just select “model organisms”, is open to the power of NGS. This volume presents a brief synopsis of NGS technologies and exemplary applications of such methods in the fields of molecular marker development, hybridization and introgression, transcriptome genetics, phylogenetic and ecological studies, polyploid genetics, and applications for large genebank collections.