Illumina this week introduced the Nextera XT DNA sample preparation kit for preparing and sequencing small genomes, PCR amplicons, and plasmids.
The original Nextera sample preparation technology fragments DNA and inserts sequencing adapters and barcodes in a single tube. Nextera XT builds on this with a "cost-effective and improved workflow," the company said. The kit's sample normalization procedure eliminates the need for library quantitation prior to sample pooling and sequencing. When paired with Illumina's MiSeq system, Nextera XT enables researchers to go from genomic DNA to analyzed data in less than 8 hours, Illumina said.
Other features of the kit include support for both the MiSeq and HiSeq sequencing platforms; integrated barcodes to support up to 96 samples per MiSeq run, up to 1,536 samples per HiSeq 2000 run, and up to 384 samples per HiSeq 2500 run in rapid run mode; and a 90-minute sample prep workflow with the ability to manually process up to 900 samples per week.
Bibby Scientific's Techne business has introduced the Techne PrimeQ real-time PCR system.
PrimeQ features a single white LED light source, PMT detector, and flexible scanning mechanism for both partial and full plate reads. Five paired excitation and emission filters housed in an individual cartridge system cover wavelengths of 470 nm to 710 nm, enabling multiplexing applications.
The platform is supported by Quansoft software, which allows users to manipulate raw data and select chemistries and consumables. Quansoft is free and can be loaded on multiple PCs without a license.