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Zymo Research, Opentrons Labworks Partner to Automate Cell-Free DNA Isolation Chemistry

NEW YORK – Zymo Research said Monday that it has partnered with Opentrons Labworks to develop and market an automated workflow for cell-free DNA isolation and library preparation.

Zymo said that the combination of its chemistries with the automation capabilities of the Opentrons' Flex platform allows for superior cfDNA yields and reduced processing time compared to current, commonly used extraction methods.

According to the company, its MagicBead cfDNA Isolation Kit features a magnetic bead surface chemistry that eliminates the need for the bead drying step common in similar procedures. The planned automated workflow will also include the ZymoSeq cell-free bisulfite sequencing library prep kit, which can prepare methyl-seq libraries from as little as 5 ng of cell-free DNA.

Previous collaborations between the two firms have included the automation of other Zymo Research chemistries including ZymoBiomics, Quick-DNA, and Direct-Zol on Opentrons' personal pipetting robot, the OT-2.

Financial terms of the new partnership were not disclosed.

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