Fluidigm has released amplicon tagging protocol for the Illumina GA II sequencer. The 48.48 Access Array integrated fluidic circuit (IFC) allows Illumina GA II users to automatically prepare sequencing-ready libraries from 48 individual samples at a time, for as little as $7 per sample.
Fluidigm’s Access Array IFC, when used with an Illumina GA II sequencer, can capture up to 12kb of sequence data per sample, or 576kb per array. With upcoming applications on the Access Array system, such as long range PCR, users will be able to target up to 480kb of sequence data per sample, or 23MB per array.
The IFCs enable simultaneous performance of thousands of sophisticated biochemical measurements in minute volumes by miniaturizing and integrating liquid handling components on a single microfluidic device (IFC).
The Access Array is the integrated fluidic circuit that features the capability of harvesting a processed sample out of the chip. Once the sample processing has been completed, the Access Array chip automatically returns the processed sample to ports where it can be easily extracted and readied for sequencing, said the company.
Through the use of amplicon tagging, while typically necessary for whole genome sequencing studies, library preparation can be eliminated for targeted re-sequencing projects. By incorporating adaptor sequences into the primer design, Access Array’s PCR-based output is ready to go into a GA II flowcell because the necessary capture sequences have already been incorporated.
Mike Lee, senior director of marketing at Fluidigm, said: “Fluidigm’s Access Array system is a platform that allows users to prepare sequencing-ready libraries for major next-generation sequencers, such as the Illumina GA II, at a fraction of the cost when compared to traditional methods. Fluidigm’s Access Array system allows for different approaches to targeted sequence enrichment enabling researchers to choose the sequencer of their choice.”