Takara Bio USA, Inc. and SPT Labtech have partnered to make next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation more accessible to laboratories seeking to scale throughput and improve workflow consistency. The collaboration combines Takara Bio’s NGS library preparation chemistries with SPT Labtech’s firefly automated liquid handling platform. The initial effort focuses on optimizing selected SMART-Seq RNA sequencing workflows, with plans to extend automation support to additional RNA-seq, DNA-seq, and immune profiling kits.

The companies aim to help high-throughput sequencing laboratories adopt automated library preparation without the space, staffing, and budget demands often associated with larger automation systems. Jointly developed and verified automation scripts will provide laboratories with ready-to-run workflows designed to simplify implementation and support reproducible sequencing results.

Takara Bio is incorporating automation into its NGS product launch strategy, with the goal of helping customers move from initial product evaluation to routine laboratory use more efficiently. “Takara Bio has built its reputation on delivering exceptional NGS chemistries. We’re committed to making those innovations easier to implement at scale,” says Andrew Farmer, DPhil, president and CEO of Takara Bio USA. He adds that automation will become a foundational element of the company’s approach to bringing new NGS products to market.

The SMART-Seq mRNA Long Read Extended kit, expected to ship in January 2027, will be the first product introduced with a workflow optimized for the firefly platform. The automated workflow is intended to support large-scale long-read transcriptomics, offering flexibility in sample input, improved recovery of long, full-length transcripts, and greater confidence in quantification through the use of unique molecular identifiers (UMIs). The combination is also designed to improve operational efficiency in routine sequencing workflows.

Automation scripts are already available through SPT Labtech’s cloud portal for two existing products: SMART-Seq mRNA LP and SMART-Seq Total RNA Library Prep with ZapR Depletion (with UMIs).

The collaboration also draws on input from the University of Cambridge, where experts worked with the two companies to automate the SMART-Seq Total RNA Library Prep with ZapR Depletion (with UMIs) workflow on firefly. The involvement of a high-volume sequencing facility reflects the operational requirements facing laboratories that need to maintain sequencing depth and data reproducibility while increasing throughput.

“As a flagship end-to-end multi-omics research facility, uncompromising data depth and reproducibility are everything,” says Dr. Ana Luisa Toribio, head of the Stratified Medicine Core Laboratory NGS Hub at the University of Cambridge. She notes that the partnership allows researchers to contribute practical laboratory experience to the workflow development process, with the aim of delivering consistent sequencing results. SPT Labtech’s firefly platform is designed to accommodate both laboratories with established automation capabilities and those introducing automated processes for the first time.

Paul Lomax, head of genomics at SPT Labtech, says the combination of the platform’s compact design and workflows developed with Takara Bio could help laboratories adopt automated library preparation without extensive infrastructure investments.

The system also includes an intuitive programming environment, configurable user permissions, and an audit trail intended to support standardized laboratory operations. Its peer-to-peer cloud network allows users to access verified methods directly, potentially reducing setup time and helping maintain consistency between sites. By pairing established NGS chemistries with preconfigured automation workflows, the companies are targeting a key challenge for sequencing laboratories: expanding sample processing capacity while maintaining the quality and reproducibility required for routine genomic analysis.

For further, details visit www.takarabio.com.