Takara Bio USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Bio, and SPT Labtech has announced their partnership to deliver validated, automated library preparation workflows that combine Takara Bio next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation chemistries with SPT Labtech’s firefly liquid handling platform.
Takara Bio USA
This collaboration will start by optimising select SMART-Seq RNA-seq library prep workflows on the firefly instrument, with the plan to expand to a growing menu of new RNA-seq, DNA-seq, and immune profiling kits.
This partnership is especially relevant to NGS core laboratories and customers who prepare NGS libraries from a high volume of samples and are looking to expand their current capabilities. Takara Bio and SPT Labtech experts have chosen to jointly build and verify automation scripts, enabling labs to swiftly adopt ready-to-run workflows that will generate high-quality, reproducible sequencing data. These workflows are simple to integrate into existing processes, and the firefly liquid handling platform does not require a large footprint, making them ideal for labs constrained by staffing, space, and budget.
Bringing automation to the forefront of NGS innovation
Takara Bio is incorporating automation as an integral part of its NGS technology launch package, allowing labs to quickly move from evaluation to routine use at scale.
"Takara Bio has built its reputation on delivering exceptional NGS chemistries. We’re committed to making those innovations easier to implement at scale," said Andrew Farmer, DPhil, president & CEO of Takara Bio USA. "Through our collaboration with SPT Labtech, automation is becoming a foundational element of how we bring NGS products to market. As we introduce new library preparation technologies, customers can expect automated workflows to be built into the product experience from the start."
The SMART-Seq mRNA Long Read Extended kit, scheduled to ship in January 2027, will be the first product launched with a workflow optimised for firefly automation. This combination will help laboratories standardise long-read transcriptomics at scale while benefiting from improved input flexibility, enhanced recovery of long, full-length transcripts, greater quantitation confidence with unique molecular identifiers (UMIs), and increased operational efficiency.
Automation scripts are already available for download on the SPT cloud portal for two existing kits, SMART-Seq mRNA LP and SMART-Seq Total RNA Library Prep with ZapR Depletion (with UMIs). Information about SMART-Seq mRNA LP on firefly is available in this technical note.
Collaborating with sequencing cores to ensure quality results
High-volume sequencing cores are continually looking for ways to improve throughput, reproducibility, and operational efficiency. Collaboration between these cores and biotech industry partners like Takara Bio and SPT Labtech creates a promising path to enable these advancements. Experts from the University of Cambridge worked together with Takara Bio and SPT Labtech to automate the SMART-Seq Total RNA Library Prep with ZapR Depletion (with UMIs) on the firefly system, supporting the generation of high-quality results with consistency and speed.
“As a flagship end-to-end multi-omics research facility, uncompromising data depth and reproducibility are everything,” said Dr. Ana Luisa Toribio, head of the Stratified Medicine Core Laboratory NGS Hub at the University of Cambridge. “Working alongside the Takara Bio and SPT Labtech teams allowed our researchers to contribute real-world operational expertise to the workflow, ensuring it delivers consistent, deep sequencing results.”
Supporting automation at every stage
The firefly technology supports labs that already use automation or that are implementing automated workflows for the first time.
Paul Lomax, head of genomics at SPT Labtech said: "We believe automation should be a practical option for every genomics lab. By combining firefly's all-in-one design, small footprint, and workflows developed in collaboration with Takara Bio, we're helping more laboratories access the benefits of automated library preparation without the infrastructure requirements often associated with larger automation platforms. Together, we're helping researchers generate high-quality data with the reproducibility and consistency needed for routine sequencing operations."
The firefly's intuitive programming environment, configurable user permissions, and transparent audit trail simplify implementation while supporting standardization across teams. In addition, firefly's peer-to-peer cloud network enables laboratories to access verified methods directly, helping reduce time to first run and improve consistency across sites.
