NextSeq 2000 Reagent Reuse
Much has been made of the threat of “Illumina-like” DNA sequencers. That is, those from Ultima, Element, Singular, MGI and others.
But the fact remains that Illumina make the most advanced DNA sequencers of this lineage on the market. Building on their acquisition of Solexa, they have iterated over every aspect of the platform. Introducing super-resolution, high speed imaging, two-color chemistries, patterned flow cells etc.1
The NextSeq 2000 remains perhaps the pinnacle of Illumina’s technological achievement. In many ways more advanced than more recent instruments like the NovaSeq X and MiSeq i100.
I found myself thinking about the NextSeq 2000 again recently. Specifically the reagent system. The NextSeq 2000 uses a cartridge contained fluidic system much like the iSeq. As such, reagents never make fluidic contact with the instrument.
If we look at NextSeq 2000 recipe files, something odd appears. Reagents seem to go both in, and out of the flowcell. But not just to waste… my guess is that Illumina are implementing reagent reuse as discussed in their patents.