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how much do core facilities charge to run the instrument, not per sample or SMRTcell but just to recover the cost of running the device? (electricity, nitrogen, etc.)
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This is a rare case and I do not think that someone would have any readily available figures. It seems that you want to place your machine in a core lab and operate it yourself. The cost will depend on if you are going to use other facilities such as bench space and lab equipment. I would consider paying space rent and associated costs such as security, electricity, Nitrogen gas, IT infrastructure for transferring and/or storing data (sort of fixed expenses), insurance, lab mishapps and damage due to your system malfunction to their facility (might be covered by your insurance). You also have to work out compensation scheme if your machine is damaged due to a accident or negligence form their staff. -
Most core facilities are subsidized by the university and do not need to develop a full cost accounting for the operation of their equipment. They look at prevailing rates, charge something similar, and hope the Research Office covers any loss. I'm curious what is motivating your question?Providing nextRAD genotyping and PacBio sequencing services. http://snpsaurus.comComment
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Since those costs will vary from place to place even if you managed to get facilities to divulge that information it may not be of use.Comment
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I’m not a sequencing expert. I’m a purification scientist who uses NGS to evaluate workflows my group develops. With this perspective, we think about the sample first and the NGS workflow second. The sequencer is an exceptionally honest reporter, but it can only report on what you give it, so whether you get clean, interpretable data from an NGS workflow is largely determined before you begin.
Here are nine questions we think about, in roughly the order they matter, before...06-18-2026, 07:11 AM -
Data variability is still an issue in sequencing technologies despite the advances in reproducibility and accuracy of these platforms. But the problem does not originate in the sequencing itself, but in the previous steps, before the sample reaches the sequencer.
The first step is collection, followed by preservation and sample preparation for analysis. Most scientists overlook those steps, but not being careful might just be skewing the experiment’s results.
...06-02-2026, 10:05 AM -
With the launch of new single-cell sequencing platforms in 2026, the field stands at an exciting inflection point. This article surveys the most impactful advances in the field and discusses how they’re reshaping research in cancer, immunology, and beyond.
Introduction
Single-cell sequencing technologies have undergone remarkable advances over the past decade, transitioning from low-throughput experimental approaches to highly scalable platforms capable of...05-22-2026, 06:42 AM
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