Automating Twist's Modular Library Prep & Targeted Enrichment Protocols Using Beckman Coulter Automation

Presented at ASHG 2021

Targeted enrichment of next generation sequencing libraries allows for a cost-effective focus on regions of interest when compared to whole genome sequencing. Hybridization-capture based enrichment is one of the most utilized technologies for targeted enrichment. While hybridization-capture based enrichment can provide a high degree of uniformity and variant detection, it typically involves complex, labor-intensive workflows that can take several days to complete. In this poster, we describe the automation of Twist Bioscience’s highly modular library preparation and hybridization-capture targeted enrichment chemistries with the use of the Twist Human Core Exome panel on the Beckman Coulter Biomek i7 Hybrid liquid handling platform. The method is capable of preparing up to 96 high quality NGS libraries from human genomic DNA using either enzymatic or mechanical fragmentation workflows and either Twist’s Combinatorial Dual Indices or Universal Adapter System. Libraries can be enriched as either a single plex or pooled together up to an 8-plex using either Twist’s standard or fast hybridization targeted enrichment protocols, resulting in enriched libraries that are ready to be sequenced on Illumina sequencing platforms. All major processes are performed on the system, allowing for maximum user walk away time and a workflow that can be performed in as little as a single day.