#USA #Boston #Automation #New England Biolabs #NGS

New England Biolabs Teams Up with Automation Leaders

New England Biolabs (NEB) is making strides in the field of molecular biology automation through partnerships with prominent laboratory automation providers. At this week’s Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) meeting held in Boston, MA, NEB showcases innovative collaborations aimed at enhancing the next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation process.

The partnerships involve notable names in the automation space, including Beckman Coulter Genomics, Eppendorf, Hamilton Company, Revvity, and SPT Labtech. Together, these entities aim to support the implementation of NEBNext® reagents, which are vital for NGS library prep.

A Collaborative Approach to Automation

Michael Benway, the Senior Automation Field Application Scientist for NEB, shared insights on the collaboration. He stated, “We strive to enable automation providers by collaboratively working on workflows and scripts for library prep methods that either match or enhance performance when executed on automated workstations.” This synergy allows optimized methods to be deployed globally, ensuring success for customers using NEB's solutions.

NEB’s dedication to collaboration is evident. By focusing on automating and optimizing various NEBNext products, such as NEBNext UltraExpress® DNA and RNA Library Prep and NEBNext Enzymatic Methyl-seq (EM-seq™), the organization aims to provide robust and standardized workflows. These workflows are crucial for scaling NGS across different institutions and regions, as emphasized by Michael Mouradian, Vice President of Scientific Strategy and Market Development at Hamilton Company.

Ensuring Quality and Scalability

Standardized, automation-ready workflows are essential for laboratories aiming to scale their NGS capacities. Mouradian highlighted that the NEB and Hamilton collaboration is about creating transferable methods that laboratories can adopt with confidence, thereby reducing implementation time and minimizing validation burdens.

Further insights from Nicole Madamba, Senior Manager of Research Applications at Revvity, underline this collaborative spirit. She noted that their long-standing partnership with NEB has facilitated the development of customer-centric automation solutions that can be supported globally.

Innovations in Protocol Design

The advancements also focus on standardizing and optimizing hardware and software. Paul Lomax, Genomics Leader at SPT Labtech, pointed out the transformation achieved through applying software development principles to protocol design. This approach enhances the collaboration between NEB and SPT Labtech, resulting in scalable and immediately deployable NGS solutions for various customer sites.

Ewan Grant, Senior Director of Automation Portfolio at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, affirmed that their partnership with NEB is rooted in a shared commitment to resolving customer challenges. By leveraging both Biomek and Echo liquid handlers, they have managed to tackle significant obstacles in automated NGS.

Showcasing Collaborative Innovations

During the SLAS 2026 meeting, NEB will present several scientific posters, showcasing their collaborative innovations:

• - Poster 1360-A: Automation of NEBNext® UltraShear FFPE DNA Library Prep Kit on Revvity Sciclone™ G3 NGSx Workstation.
• - Poster 1211-B: Automation of NEBNext® UltraExpress® DNA Library Prep Kit with Low Input cfDNA in Collaboration with a Medical Research Institution.
• - Poster 1206-B: Verification of the NEBNext® Enzymatic Methyl-seq v2 Library Preparation Workflow on Revvity Sciclone™ G3 NGSx Workstation at the Yale Center for Genome Analysis.
• - Poster 1207-C: Automation of NEBNext® Ultra II FS using Unique Molecular Indexes with Revvity Sciclone™ G3 NGSx Workstation.
• - Poster 1209-E: Automation of NEBNext® Ultra™ II RNA Library Prep Kit on SPT LabTech firefly® Workstation at Weil Cornell Medical School Genomics Core.

For more detailed information about their offerings and available automation solutions for NEBNext products, visit NEB's official website.

About New England Biolabs

With a legacy extending over 50 years, New England Biolabs (NEB) is a leader in the discovery and production of innovative products aimed at molecular biology research. NEB is deeply committed to scientific discovery, as reflected in its extensive product portfolio and investment in both basic and applied research programs. The company supports research in academia and industry, focusing on advanced technologies in molecular diagnostics and nucleic-acid vaccine development. Headquartered in Ipswich, MA, NEB operates globally, reinforced by 10 subsidiary offices and over 60 distribution partners worldwide. For more information about NEB, visit www.neb.com.