Manufacturers of biotech equipment and reagents are cooperating to ease and simplify protocols for preparing samples to be analyzed by advanced next generation sequencing platforms.

The success of techniques such as next-generation sequencing, microarrays, and library construction is contingent upon the precise and accurate processing of DNA and RNA. Library preparation of nucleic acids relies on a coordinated series of standard molecular biology reactions, and preparation of high quality libraries at high yield is a critical first step in the next generation sequencing workflow. The necessity for improved reagents and protocols for library preparation is growing in parallel with the increase in the number of applications for next generation sequencing.

To develop these new protocols, the instrument manufacturer Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (Nyon, Switzerland) will be collaborating with the reagent manufacturer New England Biolabs, Inc. (Ipswich, MA, USA). Beckman Coulter produces advanced automated liquid handling systems such as the Biomek 4000. New England Biolabs manufactures a line of highly pure "NEBNext" reagents that facilitate library preparation of DNA or RNA for downstream applications such as next generation sequencing and expression library construction.

It is planned that Beckman Coulter will use its extensive experience in automated next generation sequencing sample preparation to develop, distribute, and support automation for New England Biolabs' NEBNext sample preparation reagent kits. New England Biolabs will provide technical expertise on the reagents, chemistry, and protocols.

“Beckman Coulter’s focus on providing our next generation sequencing customers a top-notch portfolio of automated sample preparation solutions makes a partnership with New England Biolabs, a world leading provider of quality reagent systems for molecular biology research, a natural fit,” said Alisa Jackson, senior marketing manager, automated genomics solutions at Beckman Coulter. “Our joint collaborations with scientific researchers have already led to the development of high-quality methods demonstrated to improve efficiency, throughput and results for some of the most challenging sample inputs.”

Related Links:
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
New England Biolabs, Inc.