Automated NGS Library Preparation

Automating NGS sample preparation

Automated instrumentation is already playing a vital role in underpinning genomic advances as laboratories respond to increased research demand and accelerating sample volumes.

But there are still many opportunities for optimizing sample management workflows to increase efficiency, automate repetitive tasks and assure sample integrity.

The tasks of pipetting, mixing, dispensing, incubating, and shaking are integral to genomics research. Automated liquid-handling technology therefore offers a significant opportunity to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of sequencing. With capabilities and functionality developing at a pace, the implementation of solutions poses several considerations for laboratory leaders.

Automated platforms stand to deliver exceptional ongoing value to NGS laboratories. Research scientists are highly skilled and expensive resources, and so it's essential that their energy and expertise is directed away from repetitive, manual tasks towards areas that deliver the most value, such as designing experiments and analyzing results.

Automated liquid handling in NGS applications enables higher throughput by using multi-well 96 and 384 well plates, dramatically increasing reliability, accuracy, and speed. This higher throughput allows labs to generate more data from their available budget, ensuring their research investment is worthwhile research.

While there is naturally an upfront capital cost when investing in any automated liquid handling system, laboratories can recoup this initial outlay swiftly thanks to the demonstrable efficiency and productivity gains as well as a reduction in the required consumables.

New, affordable automated liquid handling technologies accessible for all will help democratize access to this transformational approach.

In the past, implementing automation solutions has relied on an in-house ‘expert’ to control and manage the robot. Identifying more accessible technologies with intuitive software can remove the 'fear factor' from controlling the automated instrument and empower every researcher within the lab with the tools to boost productivity and quality.

Software has historically been an afterthought, and many software packages have evolved incrementally over 20 years or more, building complexity on complexity. A few recent products in the market are bucking that trend to put software at the forefront of the user experience and make approachable graphical user interfaces that are intuitive and quick to learn.

Another emerging trend is the shift from the reliance on the instrument vendor for new protocols. This derives from easier-to-use software requiring less input from vendor experts and the emergence of cloud-based protocol sharing. Whilst many vendors provide access to new protocols, they can become a bottleneck in curating and distributing them.

Evaluation of a novel, compact, automated
liquid handler for NGS library preparation

In recent years, advancements in the field of next-generation sequencing (NGS) have improved our access to detailed genomic information. Samples that are destined for sequencing need to be processed into libraries before they can be loaded onto a machine that performs the sequencing run.

In this poster, we evaluate the use of firefly, a novel and highly compact liquid handler, for the automation of NGS library preparation workflows. firefly is an extremely compact automated liquid handling platform, measuring 66cm x 56cm x 78cm (width x depth x height), making it easy to place in almost any laboratory that wants to improve efficiency by automating manual workflows.