Resources

Explore insightful resources that include videos, whitepapers, eBooks, application notes and more

Automating RNA Library Prep for High-Throughput Genomics: AstraZeneca Case Study

In this session, Sara Talbot, Senior Research Scientist at AstraZeneca, shares her experience using the NEBNext UltraExpress RNA Library Prep Kit in combination with our firefly platform to prepare 96 RNA-seq libraries in a single day. This powerful integration of reagents and automation not only streamlined the library preparation process but also significantly reduced time at the bench and improved reproducibility across samples.

Webinar

firefly® Illumina DNA Prep Poster

The Illumina DNA Prep kit is an optimized, user-friendly workflow for preparing normalized and ready-to-sequence libraries in under four hours, from a wide range of DNA inputs. Illumina DNA Prep delivers reliable results - consistent insert sizes, uniform coverage, and optimized performance for a range of sample types and DNA input amounts1,2. Illumina DNA Prep relies on bead-based tagmentation technology where magnetic bead-based transposome complexes fragment DNA and ligate adapter sequences in a single 15-minute reaction. PCR is then used to add indexes to the DNA fragments and generates libraries compatible with all Illumina sequencing platforms. The amplified libraries are purified using Illumina Purification Beads. The overall process eliminates the need for library quantitation before library pooling and sequencing, minimizing bias and error, and resulting in highly reproducible sequencing data1,2. Here we show how the Illumina DNA Prep workflow, based on Illumina DNA Prep Reference Guide (1000000025416 v11), was automated on firefly®, in a two-part protocol with a single off-deck thermocycler step. Details of the firefly® workflow are described, and data is

Poster

Optimizing NGS library prep in the Core lab

As sequencing costs continue to decrease, sample and library preparation have emerged as the critical bottleneck in modern genomics workflows. Core facilities face mounting pressure to process thousands of samples with accuracy and precision while maintaining competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times. In this session, you'll hear from Taylor Fennelly, a researcher at the Biopolymers Facility (BPF) at Harvard Medical School, who will share their success story implementing SPT Labtech’s firefly for high-throughput, high-quality library generation. Our very own firefly product manager, Denise Grovewood will demonstrate how this compact, all-in-one automated liquid handling solution is specifically designed to overcome the bottlenecks faced by sequencing cores.

Webinar

firefly® application note Illumina DNA Prep

Application note

Generating Bespoke Datasets for Foundation Models in AI Drug Discovery

The application of AI in drug discovery relies on high-quality, reproducible training datasets. Traditional screening campaigns focus on identifying potent hits, but ML-driven drug discovery requires comprehensive potency evaluation across entire compound libraries. Here, we introduce a partial concentration-response curve (pCRC) approach that estimates potency using just two data points per compound. We onboarded a panel of 65 diverse kinases and screened 7000 compounds against the panel at ATP concentrations near Kₘ to minimize modality bias, achieving a mean robust Z’ of 0.74 across all targets. A direct comparison of 100 fragments tested in both 2-point pCRC and conventional 11-point CRC formats demonstrated excellent correlation, confirming that our pCRC methodology produces high-quality data suitable for ML model training. The integration of our automation platform, including SPT Labtech’s dragonfly® discovery, with automated data pipelines enabled the generation of 221,000 high-quality ML-ready data points per day, accelerating the development of foundation model training for drug discovery.

Webinar

dragonfly discovery - How to dispense Matrigel and PeptiMatrix hydrogels

This video gives a tutorial on how to dispense Matrigel and PeptiMatric hydrogels using the Dragonfly discovery for use cases such as for 3D Cell culture. The dragonfly® discovery is a low volume, positive displacement, non-contact dispenser. The instrument is available in three configurations that differ by the number of dispense heads (3, 6, 10) or channels. Channels can be combined for fast bulk reagent dispensing (as demonstrate3d in this video), or, used independently to dispense any volume of any liquid class into any well at any time.

Tutorial

KAPA EvoPrep Automated Library Preparation - firefly Technical Note

This technical note provides supporting information for the firefly protocols listed below. These protocols are based on the KAPA EvoPrep Kit Operators Manual v1.2 and are available to download from the firefly community. Here, we outline protocol run times, parts required and provide details on the steps performed in each protocol.

Technical note

Automating KAPA EvoPrep Library Preparation on firefly®

The KAPA EvoPrep Kits are the latest high-performance, streamlined, and automation-friendly library preparation solutions from Roche. SPT Labtech firefly protocols have been developed to run the KAPA EvoPrep and KAPA EvoPrep PCR-Free library preparation workflows - using the 96-well plate format of the KAPA EvoPrep Kit and the KAPA Unique Dual-Indexed Adapter Kit.

Application note

Technical Note - NEBNext® Ultra™ II FS DNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina

This technical note provides supporting information for automation of the NEBNext Ultra II FS DNA Library Prep kit on firefly. The firefly protocols are listed below and are available to download from the firefly community. Here, we outline protocol run times, parts required and provide details on the steps performed in each protocol.

Technical note

Application Note - Automating the NEBNext® Ultra™ II FS DNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina on firefly®

The NEBNext® Ultra™ II FS DNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina is optimized for the construction of high quality, high yield libraries using a broad range of DNA input amounts. The library preparation workflow uses NEBNext FS (Fragmentation System) enzymatic fragmentation reagents, eliminating the need to mechanically shear the DNA input. The workflow also uses a single enzyme mix to perform the fragmentation, end repair and dA-tailing, which greatly simplifies the workflow. Here, we demonstrate how this workflow has been automated on firefly. We provide details on the steps performed in each protocol, together with data to demonstrate the performance of these protocols in generating high quality libraries for sequencing.

Application note

Advancing 3D Cell Culture: Automated positive displacement dispensing of MCF7 and HepG2 cells, mixed with PeptiMatrix™ Hydrogel

In vitro cell cultures are essential for modelling disease, but traditional 2D cell culture systems fall short in replicating the complex microenvironments of native tissues. This limitation hinders the translation of in vitro findings to in vivo contexts and contributes to the high attrition rates seen in drug discovery pipelines.

Application note

Webinar recording: Automated sample management for more efficient drug discovery: Developing and embedding in-house sample management at Artios

In this webinar, learn how the team at Artios Pharma have developed and implemented automated end-to-end workflows for sample storage and tracking, processing, assay-ready plate generation and sample mapping for analysis, using Titian Sample Bank software and SPT Labtech automation systems. Using this compound management workflow, they have demonstrated up to a 40% reduction in data posting cycle times and decreased running costs, as well as using the system for clinical sample supply and tracking, all of which results in quicker data reporting to drive decision making and more effective use of resources.

Webinar

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