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This week, the annual Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) general meeting took place in Hollywood, Florida. The event is well known for its high-quality speakers and industry-changing product releases. This year’s general meeting was no different, containing several important announcements and many anticipated talks from esteemed scientists. Part one of the AGBT general meeting highlights are listed below in a randomized order.
Complete Genomics
On the second day of the conference, Complete Genomics CSO and co-founder Rade Drmanac made one of the largest announcements of the event by releasing two new sequencers into the U.S. market. The first instrument, DNBSEQ-T20x2, is the largest commercial sequencer to date and is equipped to deliver up to 72 Tb in a single run. Due to its size, a smaller replica and accompanying videos were presented at the meeting.
The sequencing process for DNBSEQ-T20x2 is unique and designed to cut down on reagent usage and costs. Instead of using flow cells, sequencing is performed using dip-immersion chemistry with silicon slides. A rotational robotic arm dips the full surface of the silicon slides into the same pool of reagents.
The potential throughput of the DNBSEQ-T20×2 is up to 50,000 WGS per year with an estimated cost of under $100 per 30x human genome, including calculations for instrument depreciation. This sequencer will be commercially available in the U.S. in Q3 of 2023 and in China in Q2 of 2023.
Their second device, DNBSEQ-G99, sits at the other end of the sequencing spectrum. DNBSEQ-G99 is a portable benchtop sequencer with a throughput of 8-48 Gb per run. The instrument was designed for a rapid turnaround time of 12 hours, and short read reports are available after the first 2.5 hours for more urgent reporting needs. The currently available read lengths include PE50, SE100, and PE150, while longer read lengths, such as SE400 and PE300, will be made available in the future. DNBSEQG99 is expected to be accessible for the U.S. market in Q2, 2023.
In addition, a new promotional price for their flagship sequencer, DNBSEQ-T7, was listed at $1.5/Gb or $150 per genome including on lower multiplexed runs. Several conference talks included customer testimonials about their experiences with the large-scale sequencer.
Complete Genomics also gave a talk regarding their long fragment method to sequence and assemble full genomes with the stLFR (single tube long fragment reads) Library Prep Kit. The kit uses co-barcoding technology to provide synthetic long reads to overcome the limitations of shorter reads.
Parse Biosciences
Parse Bioscience, the single-cell sequencing company known for its split pool combinatorial barcoding platform, released two new Evercode products during the meeting. The first, Evercode TCR, was created to identify T cell receptor alpha and beta chains for up to one million cells, including their whole transcriptome. Their second product announcement was for the Evercode Gene Capture kit. This targeted approach to single-cell sequencing comes with two options: the Immune1000 Gene Capture, which targets human immune cell type markers and pathways, or a custom panel that can be designed to target any regions of interest.
BD Biosciences
Released several days before and presented at the meeting, Becton Dickenson showcased their new single-cell product, BD Rhapsody HT Xpress System. This single-cell partitioning system uses beads to bring individual cells into separate wells gently. It contains eight separate lanes per cartridge that can be loaded individually and allows for partial use and reuse. The device’s expanded throughput allows for million-cell studies and has up to an 80% cell capture rate.
BD also introduced the BD Rhapsody Mouse TCR/BCR Multiomic Assay, as well as BD Flex Single-Cell Multiplexing Kits. Both can be run on any BD Rhapsody system and expand the applications of their single-cell tools. Successful experimental data were presented throughout the conference, along with the continued promotions of BD’s cell sorting machines.
Singular Genomics
Announcements from Singular Genomics included the release of their Max Read Kit. Built for 10X Genomics single-cell sequencing, the Max Read Kit was designed to increase the output to up to 3.2 billion reads per run. The G4 sequencing platform has four flow cells with individual lanes that can be loaded separately to sequence 4, 8, 12, or 16 samples per run.
Some important applications for the new Max Read Kit include small RNA sequencing, cfDNA fragment counting, CRISPR screens, mRNA gene expression, proteomics and spatial tagging. Data presented by Singular showed how the new kit can boost sample throughput to higher levels than popular devices from competitors.
On-site staff provided details on the workflow, operation, and specs of the G4 instrument. Other notable talks, like those by founder and CSO Eli Glezer, highlighted the expanded capabilities and new applications of the G4 platform.
BioSkryb Genomics
Expanding their portfolio into the multi-omic sequencing space, BioSkryb released their ResolveOME Whole Genome and Transcriptome Amplification Kit. Continuing to build on their work with their unique Primary-Directed Template Amplification (PTA), the kit allows researchers to use a single tube reaction to amplify DNA and RNA while still obtaining full genomic DNA variants and full-length transcripts.
Their second announcement introduced their BaseJumper Bioinformatics Platform. The cloud-based system is platform agnostic and was designed for analyzing data in a way that permits collaboration. BaseJumper was built for single-cell multi-omics data analysis for both DNA and RNA.
Ultima Genomics
The team from Ultima Genomics didn’t make any large announcements during the event, but executives like CEO Gilad Almogy visited with attendees and participated in some of the community events. Several talks were given that exemplified the unique capabilities, throughput, and applications of the UG 100 sequencing platform.
One such event, a poster flash talk given by single-cell sequencing legend Rahul Satija, described his work with the UG 100 instrument. His flash talk described large-scale single-cell RNA-seq using combinatorial indexing in a cost-effective workflow.
Another significant presentation by researcher Netanel Loyfer described his efforts to use cfDNA methylation profiling as a blood biomarker to monitor patients with congestive heart failure. Performing deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on cfDNA samples, Loyfer obtained some of his results using the Ultima platform. Further investigations with the sequencer were able to give evidence for some of the contributing cell types and biomarkers associated with the disease.
Pacific Biosciences (PacBio)
Data from PacBio’s newest instruments, Revio and Onso, were presented throughout the meeting, along with a PacBio workshop. The workshop unveiled pricing for their short-read sequencer at approximately $15 per Gb with their 300-cycle kit and $19 per Gb using a 200-cycle kit. Posters and high-level talks reviewed the product specs and enhanced performances of both new devices. The company reported successful sales and interest in both instruments, and the presented data shows their accuracy and increased utility.
The company also announced that their method, Multiplexed Arrays Sequencing (MAS-Seq), was expanded to 16s rRNA and bulk RNA sequencing for the Sequel II/IIe and Revio systems. Due to its popularity, the company decided to increase its applications to fit the needs of many of its users. Launched last year, MAS-Seq is designed to concatenate multiple shorter fragments and read them as a single long HiFi read to significantly extend the throughput. The extension of this application will increase the range of HiFi reads.
PacBio stole the spotlight on the third night when they threw a party and open concert for all attendees, led by Flo Rida and DJ Sam Feldt. PacBio’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Van Oene opened up the concert with a brief speech and selected drawing winners to meet with the artists after the show. The opulence demonstrated the strong year PacBio has envisioned for the year ahead.
Read part two of our AGBT news to learn about Illumina’s long-read announcement, important product updates, and the highlights from notable speakers.
Complete Genomics
On the second day of the conference, Complete Genomics CSO and co-founder Rade Drmanac made one of the largest announcements of the event by releasing two new sequencers into the U.S. market. The first instrument, DNBSEQ-T20x2, is the largest commercial sequencer to date and is equipped to deliver up to 72 Tb in a single run. Due to its size, a smaller replica and accompanying videos were presented at the meeting.
The sequencing process for DNBSEQ-T20x2 is unique and designed to cut down on reagent usage and costs. Instead of using flow cells, sequencing is performed using dip-immersion chemistry with silicon slides. A rotational robotic arm dips the full surface of the silicon slides into the same pool of reagents.
The potential throughput of the DNBSEQ-T20×2 is up to 50,000 WGS per year with an estimated cost of under $100 per 30x human genome, including calculations for instrument depreciation. This sequencer will be commercially available in the U.S. in Q3 of 2023 and in China in Q2 of 2023.
Their second device, DNBSEQ-G99, sits at the other end of the sequencing spectrum. DNBSEQ-G99 is a portable benchtop sequencer with a throughput of 8-48 Gb per run. The instrument was designed for a rapid turnaround time of 12 hours, and short read reports are available after the first 2.5 hours for more urgent reporting needs. The currently available read lengths include PE50, SE100, and PE150, while longer read lengths, such as SE400 and PE300, will be made available in the future. DNBSEQG99 is expected to be accessible for the U.S. market in Q2, 2023.
In addition, a new promotional price for their flagship sequencer, DNBSEQ-T7, was listed at $1.5/Gb or $150 per genome including on lower multiplexed runs. Several conference talks included customer testimonials about their experiences with the large-scale sequencer.
Complete Genomics also gave a talk regarding their long fragment method to sequence and assemble full genomes with the stLFR (single tube long fragment reads) Library Prep Kit. The kit uses co-barcoding technology to provide synthetic long reads to overcome the limitations of shorter reads.
Parse Biosciences
Parse Bioscience, the single-cell sequencing company known for its split pool combinatorial barcoding platform, released two new Evercode products during the meeting. The first, Evercode TCR, was created to identify T cell receptor alpha and beta chains for up to one million cells, including their whole transcriptome. Their second product announcement was for the Evercode Gene Capture kit. This targeted approach to single-cell sequencing comes with two options: the Immune1000 Gene Capture, which targets human immune cell type markers and pathways, or a custom panel that can be designed to target any regions of interest.
BD Biosciences
Released several days before and presented at the meeting, Becton Dickenson showcased their new single-cell product, BD Rhapsody HT Xpress System. This single-cell partitioning system uses beads to bring individual cells into separate wells gently. It contains eight separate lanes per cartridge that can be loaded individually and allows for partial use and reuse. The device’s expanded throughput allows for million-cell studies and has up to an 80% cell capture rate.
BD also introduced the BD Rhapsody Mouse TCR/BCR Multiomic Assay, as well as BD Flex Single-Cell Multiplexing Kits. Both can be run on any BD Rhapsody system and expand the applications of their single-cell tools. Successful experimental data were presented throughout the conference, along with the continued promotions of BD’s cell sorting machines.
Singular Genomics
Announcements from Singular Genomics included the release of their Max Read Kit. Built for 10X Genomics single-cell sequencing, the Max Read Kit was designed to increase the output to up to 3.2 billion reads per run. The G4 sequencing platform has four flow cells with individual lanes that can be loaded separately to sequence 4, 8, 12, or 16 samples per run.
Some important applications for the new Max Read Kit include small RNA sequencing, cfDNA fragment counting, CRISPR screens, mRNA gene expression, proteomics and spatial tagging. Data presented by Singular showed how the new kit can boost sample throughput to higher levels than popular devices from competitors.
On-site staff provided details on the workflow, operation, and specs of the G4 instrument. Other notable talks, like those by founder and CSO Eli Glezer, highlighted the expanded capabilities and new applications of the G4 platform.
BioSkryb Genomics
Expanding their portfolio into the multi-omic sequencing space, BioSkryb released their ResolveOME Whole Genome and Transcriptome Amplification Kit. Continuing to build on their work with their unique Primary-Directed Template Amplification (PTA), the kit allows researchers to use a single tube reaction to amplify DNA and RNA while still obtaining full genomic DNA variants and full-length transcripts.
Their second announcement introduced their BaseJumper Bioinformatics Platform. The cloud-based system is platform agnostic and was designed for analyzing data in a way that permits collaboration. BaseJumper was built for single-cell multi-omics data analysis for both DNA and RNA.
Ultima Genomics
The team from Ultima Genomics didn’t make any large announcements during the event, but executives like CEO Gilad Almogy visited with attendees and participated in some of the community events. Several talks were given that exemplified the unique capabilities, throughput, and applications of the UG 100 sequencing platform.
One such event, a poster flash talk given by single-cell sequencing legend Rahul Satija, described his work with the UG 100 instrument. His flash talk described large-scale single-cell RNA-seq using combinatorial indexing in a cost-effective workflow.
Another significant presentation by researcher Netanel Loyfer described his efforts to use cfDNA methylation profiling as a blood biomarker to monitor patients with congestive heart failure. Performing deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on cfDNA samples, Loyfer obtained some of his results using the Ultima platform. Further investigations with the sequencer were able to give evidence for some of the contributing cell types and biomarkers associated with the disease.
Pacific Biosciences (PacBio)
Data from PacBio’s newest instruments, Revio and Onso, were presented throughout the meeting, along with a PacBio workshop. The workshop unveiled pricing for their short-read sequencer at approximately $15 per Gb with their 300-cycle kit and $19 per Gb using a 200-cycle kit. Posters and high-level talks reviewed the product specs and enhanced performances of both new devices. The company reported successful sales and interest in both instruments, and the presented data shows their accuracy and increased utility.
The company also announced that their method, Multiplexed Arrays Sequencing (MAS-Seq), was expanded to 16s rRNA and bulk RNA sequencing for the Sequel II/IIe and Revio systems. Due to its popularity, the company decided to increase its applications to fit the needs of many of its users. Launched last year, MAS-Seq is designed to concatenate multiple shorter fragments and read them as a single long HiFi read to significantly extend the throughput. The extension of this application will increase the range of HiFi reads.
PacBio stole the spotlight on the third night when they threw a party and open concert for all attendees, led by Flo Rida and DJ Sam Feldt. PacBio’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Van Oene opened up the concert with a brief speech and selected drawing winners to meet with the artists after the show. The opulence demonstrated the strong year PacBio has envisioned for the year ahead.
Read part two of our AGBT news to learn about Illumina’s long-read announcement, important product updates, and the highlights from notable speakers.