Agilent extends target-enrichment platform to desktop sequencers

MARCO ISLAND, USA: Agilent Technologies Inc. expanded its SureSelect target-enrichment system with the HaloPlex target enrichment system for desktop sequencers. The product will be unveiled at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology meeting here tomorrow.

Exclusive HaloPlex technology combines the speed and specificity of polymerase chain-reaction systems with the scalability and capture-size flexibility of in-solution hybridization formats. The library prep-free single tube protocol overcomes the target-number limitations of multiplex PCR due to cross-hybridization issues, reduces sample prep time to less than one day, and is compatible with Illumina MiSeq desktop sequencers as well as HiSeq and GAIIx sequencers.

“While next-generation sequencing has made the analysis of complete genomes possible, often we have more targeted questions where we want to survey small sets of genes in large numbers of individuals,” said Edwin Cuppen, principal investigator, Genome Biology, Hubrecht Institute. “For the range of a few to dozens of genes, current hybrid capture enrichment technologies have their limitations. HaloPlex technology very nicely fills this gap and makes it possible for us to capture the complete coding sequences of two to 20 genes in a single reaction. This is with efficiency of more than 90 percent of reads on-target.

“The combined application of HaloPlex enrichment technology with Ion Torrent semiconductor sequencing provides a versatile and rapid setup for high-throughput, small-footprint target gene resequencing.”