Echo-Enhanced SMART-Seq v4 for RNA Sequencing

As the cost of sequencing has continued to decline by orders of magnitude in the past ten years, scientists are enabled to ask deeper and more complex questions about transcriptomics. Consequently, the variety, quantity, and demands of RNA sequencing experiments have all increased. The Clontech SMART-Seq^® v4 Ultra^® Low Input RNA Kit incorporates the SMART (Switching Mechanism at 5’ End of RNA Template) technology. This technology utilizes the template switching activity of reverse transcriptases to add PCR adapters directly to both the 5’ and 3’ ends of the first-strand cDNA before amplification using LD PCR. Here, we document information and results pertaining to the miniaturization of this process utilizing the Echo^® 525 Liquid Handler, effectively reducing the reagent cost and processing time for the workflow, addressing current throughput needs of RNA sequencing.