Issues with new XLR70 lot

[MissDNA]

Only recently we have received a lot of XLR70 containing the new control beads. Since them I have observed a decrease of the read length for our library and control type 1 as well. We have had a few runs where the control length was bellow 300 bp. I contact Roche support and explained the situation. The lot we have been using is #93801720. I was told there was already other complains on that lot.
Has anyone experienced any problem with that lot or any of the new lots containing the new beads?
Thanks

[genes123]

We had the exact same experience with that lot#. Finally Roche agreed to replace a few kits but never acknowledged it was the entire lot that was faulty (we didn't get anything above 350, but they only replaced runs we got at >300bp. We went back to >400bp as soon as we switched lot#)

[genes123]

I re-checked and our lot# was actually 93801620. There is already another thread on problems with 93801720

[MissDNA]

Thank you! I am gonna look for the other thread.
We haven´t had any official word from Roche yet and I doubt they will acknowledge there is a problem with the lot and make a recall. We are stuck with 16 boxes of that lot. The last couple of runs were not so terrible. Since we´ve started using that lot none of our runs had reads longer than 350. I am currently waiting for answers on the 3 runs I forwarded to support.
I don´t understand why they change products that are working well. It happened with the gaskets, then emPCR kits and now with XRL70.

[genes123]

We made a pretty convincing case by sequencing the same library on 2 different lots and by plotting the stats of all our runs over the past 6 months (outsiders all had the same lot# in common) , but it still took 1 month and a half to get feedback and some replacement kits from Roche.

[MissDNA]

Oh yeah, I did the same. I sent them an spreadsheet with the data of all the runs we made from November to now, with lot numbers and such. They keep finding all sorts of excuses and I keep repeating myself. I got an email last Friday, with a lot of nonsense to which I replied and haven´t heard back from them since. I imagine it is hard for them to admit there is problem with the lot, when they know I have so many boxes in stock.

[Soulbee]

Agreed. I had to also do many test runs before I got any replacement oils. Do you know if they are coming up with any new developments as far as the software or reagents go? I feel that compared to Illumina or Solid, Roche has been very quiet.. just wondering what is going on.

[MissDNA]

Our problem persists. We got several replacement kits but so far no concrete answer on our problem. We have been waiting for control beads to perform a Tf run since November. It should arrive today. A Roche representative is coming to our lab today and I will see what he has to say. Since we started using the new lots of XLR70 with the new control beads we haven´t had a run that reached 400+bp median size of reads. Several runs have been bellow 300. Finally Roche has asked us to not perform any runs till the Tf run is made.
We had a problem with emPCR around October but my suspicious were on the emPCR reagent. I think I was right because since that lot ended we haven´t had any problems.
I think they are working on larger reads. Something around 800-1000. At least they told me that was a reason for the new control beads with 2 sizes of fragements.