Sample preparation is a critical stage of every study, enabling further investigation of life sciences and genetic variation in the organism of interest. As part of our service, we can extract nucleic acids from the submitted tissue. Samples of exceptional quality and sufficient quantity help sequencing projects run more efficiently and provide more reliable data for downstream bioinformatics analysis. The Sample Requirements for tissue listed below are the minimum amounts required for extraction. Whenever possible, we recommend submitting more material.
Microbiome sequencing
Microbes
| Source | ILLUMINA | PacBio | ONT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteria | 1 x 107 | ≥ 3.5 x 1010 | ≥ 3.5 x 1010 |
| Unicellular Fungi | 1 x 107 | ≥ 3.5 x 1010 | ≥ 3.5 x 1010 |
| Macrofungi | ≥ 4.0 g | ≥ 10.0 g | ≥ 10.0 g |
A pellet from a culture can be submitted for extraction, but it must be prepared appropriately before shipment. Instructions for preparing pellet samples are available here.
Environmental samples
| TYPE | AMPLICON | NGS - Metagenome | ONT - Metagenome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil | 2 g | 3 g | 5 g |
| Gut contents - animals | 2 g | 2 g | 3 g |
| Gut contents - insects | 0.25 g | 2 g | 3 g |
| Plant surface | Enriched pellet 0.5 g | Enriched pellet 1 g | 3 g |
| Fermentation broth | Enriched pellet 0.5 g | Enriched pellet 0.5 g | - |
| Surface microorganisms | Filter paper or swab | 5-6 swabs | - |
| Water/ Air/ Biofilm | Filter paper | 1-2 filter papers | - |
| Skin/ Genital swab/ Saliva/ Oral soft tissue/ Throat swab/ Rectal swab | 2-3 swabs | 2-3 swabs | - |
| Faeces - animals | 2 g | 2 g | 3 g |
Filters used for water filtration can be submitted for extraction, but they must be prepared appropriately. Instructions for preparing water samples are available here.
De novo genome assembly
| Source | Tissue | Preliminary study - Illumina | PacBio | Hi-C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | Viscera | 1 g | ≥ 4 g | ≥ 2.0 g |
| Muscle | 1 g | ≥ 5 g | ≥ 2.0 g | |
| Mammalian blood* | 1 g | ≥ 5 ml | ≥ 2 mL | |
| Fish/poultry blood* | 1 g | ≥ 1 ml | ≥ 2 mL | |
| Plants | Fresh leaves | 2 g | ≥ 5 g | ≥ 4.0 g |
| Petals / stems | 2 g | ≥ 10 g | - | |
| Roots / seeds | 2 g | ≥ 20 g | - | |
| Cells | Cell culture | - | ≥ 1 x 108 | ≥ 1 x 107 |
Population genetics
| Source | Tissue | WGS - Illumina | WGS -ONT | SLAF-seq |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | Viscera | 1 g | ≥ 4 g | ≥ 0.5 g |
| Muscle | 1 g | ≥ 5 g | ≥ 0.5 g | |
| Mammalian blood* | 1.5 ml | ≥ 5 ml | 1.5 ml | |
| Fish/poultry blood* | 1.5 ml | ≥ 1 ml | 1.5 ml | |
| Plants | Fresh leaves | 2 g | ≥ 5 g | 1 g |
| Petals / stems | 2 g | ≥ 10 g | 1 g | |
| Roots / seeds | 2 g | ≥ 20 g | 1 g | |
| Cells | Cell culture | - | ≥ 1 x 108 | - |
RNA-seq
| Source | TISSUE | NGS | TGS | Lnc-RNA | small-RNA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | Heart / intestine | 350 mg | 350 mg | 500 mg | 500 mg |
| Viscera / brain | 250 mg | 250 mg | 250 mg | 250 mg | |
| Muscle | 500 mg | 500 mg | 600 mg | 600 mg | |
| Bones / hair / skin | 1 g | 1 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | |
| Plants | Roots / petals / stems | 500 mg | 600 mg | 600 mg | 600 mg |
| Leaves / seeds | 350 mg | 350 mg | 350 mg | 350 mg | |
| Fruit | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | |
| Cells | Cell culture | 3 x 106 | 3 x 106 | 3 x 106 | 3 x 106 |
| Arthropods | Insects | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
| Crustaceans | 350 mg | 350 mg | 500 mg | 500 mg | |
| Whole blood* | Blood* | 1 tube | 1 tube | 2 tubes | 2 tubes |
| Serum | - | - | 6 ml | 6 ml | |
| Plasma | - | - | 6 ml | 6 ml |
In exceptional cases, if project material has special or different requirements, such as a smaller amount, than those listed above, these requirements can be tailored to the client's needs following prior consultation with the Support Team.
If DNA / RNA is extracted independently, follow the applicable sample requirements for nucleic acids.
* Blood is particularly sensitive because of its ability to coagulate. To preserve your material during transport, please prepare blood samples in accordance with the blood preparation procedure.