SPT Labtech and EMBL GeneCore Collaborate to Advance Fully Walkaway Automation in Genomics Workflows

Cambridge, UK, and Heidelberg, Germany, 13 April 2026: SPT Labtech, a global leader in the design and development of laboratory automation and liquid handling solutions, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s Genomics Core Facility (EMBL GeneCore), today announced a collaboration to advance fully walkaway automated genomics workflows. As part of the collaboration, SPT Labtech’s firefly^®+ all-in-one liquid handling platform has been installed at EMBL GeneCore, an internationally recognized, state-of-the-art genomics service center. 

Through the installation of firefly+, EMBL GeneCore will expand its capacity to develop new protocols and further validate and optimize existing workflows for challenging applications such as low-input and metagenomics samples to support the broader genomics community. SPT Labtech’s firefly+ all-in-one liquid handling platform is a compact and highly flexible automation solution designed to simplify complex genomics workflows, combining pipetting, dispensing, incubating, and shaking technologies into a single instrument.

The automated protocols use New England Biolabs^® (NEB) library preparation kits, NEBNext^®, to generate high-yield, high-quality libraries from a wide input range. Designed for simplicity and efficiency, the kits enable development of low bias, high-sensitivity NGS protocols, with minimal plastic waste.

Installation of SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform at EMBL GeneCore, combined with the simplicity of NEB® kits, creates a robust foundation for fully walkaway automation, enabling more streamlined, end-to-end workflows and supporting labs to scale automation more easily.

Vladimir Benes, Head of Genomics Core Facility (GeneCore) at EMBL, said: “The installation of SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform as part of our collaboration underscores our commitment to remain at the forefront of scientific innovation. Fully walkaway automation will address key bottlenecks in genomics workflows, helping us develop  high-quality, scalable NGS protocols.”

Morten Frost, Chief Commercial Officer, SPT Labtech, commented: “Our latest collaboration with EMBL GeneCore marks a significant step towards advancing fully walkaway automation, providing end-to-end genomics workflows for a much wider range of applications, including environmental and rare species research. We are excited to expand access to our firefly+ platform in Europe through collaboration in the biotech hub of Heidelberg, where strong industry collaborations are driving ecosystem growth.”

Bjoern Textor PhD, Sales and Senior Applications Manager, New England Biolabs GmbH, added: “Integration of our library prep kits with SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform at EMBL GeneCore creates a compelling opportunity for faster, scalable DNA and RNA-Seq workflows, and we look forward to working together to develop novel solutions to overcome persistent challenges in genomics research.”

Media Contact: Dr Ben Rutter, Zyme Communications - ben.rutter@zymecommunications.com