PCR Biosystems has launched a new proofreading polymerase mix for NGS library preparation workflows.

The new VeriFi Library Amplification Mix combines the performance of VeriFi Hot Start Polymerase with reduced GC-dependent bias to push the limits of NGS data, the company says. With the VeriFi Library Amplification Mix, researchers can be more confident that they are acquiring superior-quality sequencing datasets containing a higher number of unique reads.

NGS enables researchers to quickly sequence entire genomes and transcriptomes of organisms. This technology unlocks insights into complex biological processes, ultimately enabling the development of targeted treatments and more effective vaccines and contributing to a better understanding of the natural world. Library amplification is a critical step of PCR-based NGS workflows. However, PCR is susceptible to GC bias, which compromises the quality of sequencing libraries and in turn negatively impacts resulting data quality. Researchers, therefore, typically look to reduce GC bias during NGS library amplification, so they can be confident in the insights they elucidate from the data generated.

VeriFi Library Amplification Mix has been engineered to reduce GC-bias. Incorporating the VeriFi Hot Start Polymerase with AptaLock hot start technology, the mix also utilizes proprietary chemistry to minimize GC-bias and enable reliable amplification for sequencing workflows. Having undergone testing on IlluminaÒ platforms, the mix was shown to have minimal bias, even during amplification at extremes of GC content.

Study Incorporates the VeriFi Library Amplification Mix

In an external, blind experiment with three market-leading competitors, the researcher running the study picked VeriFi Library Amplification Mix as the best performing and said it would be their mix of choice, according to the company. They reported that using the VeriFi mix allowed the detection of 2% more unique reads, which translates to 80,000-25,000,000 unique reads, depending on the sequencing platform. More unique reads are a significant benefit, leading to greater target sequence coverage in whole genome sequencing studies and more accurate quantitative information, thereby making RNA-Seq experiments more informative.

“Empowering researchers to advance their research and unlock new insights is the driving force behind everything we do at PCR Biosystems,” says Alex Wilson, co-founder and business development manager, PCR Biosystems. “And we are proud that we have developed this cutting-edge mix, which is cost-effective and will truly benefit researchers, giving them more and better data when undertaking costly and laborious NGS experiments.”

The VeriFi Library Amplification Mix’s 2x mix format helps to simplify workflows by reducing the pipetting required, ultimately helping to improve reproducibility.

Featured image: PCR BioSystems VeriFi Library Amplification Mix. Photo: PCR Biosystems