Simplified Sequencing Workflow with New Automation Solution for the Genome Sequencer FLX System

454 Life Sciences announced today the launch and immediate availability of the new REM e System, a robotic accessory module for liquid handling systems which enables complete automation of emPCR enrichment in the GS FLX Titanium workflow. The REM e System dramatically simplifies the sequencing workflow by replacing five hours of dedicated manual lab work with an automated walk-away procedure.

The module can be readily integrated into most commonly available liquid handling platforms, providing a cost-effective solution to increase sequencing productivity and consistency for all GS FLX Titanium series run formats.

The new automation solution represents one of a series of recent improvements to streamline the sequencing system’s end-to-end workflow, from sample preparation through data analysis. Late last year, 454 Life Sciences announced the launch of a new GS FLX Titanium Rapid Library Preparation Kit which takes half of the time of previously available kits and requires five to ten times less sample DNA. In addition, a number of recent upgrades to the 454 Sequencing data analysis software suite offer significant ease-of use improvements which are especially beneficial to biologists without extensive bioinformatics expertise. These upgrades include near “push-button” de novo assembly of small to medium sized genomes, straightforward de novo transcriptome assembly with splice variant detection, and the power to assemble human-sized genomes.

“The introduction of the REM e System increases the overall ease-of-use of the platform,” said Christopher McLeod, President and CEO at 454 Life Sciences. “We believe that this means not only offering automation solutions to streamline the front-end sequencing workflow, but also providing highly sophisticated and intuitively-designed analysis tools on the back-end. Our goal is to offer complete sequencing solutions which enable high quality biological discovery and we continue to offer substantial advantages to this end, particularly in the fields of de novo sequencing, amplicon sequencing, full-length transcriptome analysis, and metagenomics.”