Twist Bioscience, a core mid-cap growth and value equity company in the life sciences segment of the healthcare sector, and Curio Genomics, a leading innovator in genomics software, have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows in agricultural genomics (agrigenomics). This partnership will integrate Twist’s FlexPrep™ Ultra-High Throughput (UHT) Library Preparation Kit with Curio’s bioinformatics software and data platform to create a seamless, comprehensive solution for researchers in the agrigenomics space.
The Need for NGS in Agrigenomics
While NGS workflows provide significant advantages over traditional microarray technology, their adoption in agrigenomics has been slower than expected. The main reasons for this reluctance include the low cost and widespread familiarity of microarray workflows. However, NGS offers greater flexibility and deeper genomic insights, making it a superior choice for agricultural researchers looking to optimize genetic analysis and improve breeding programs.
By combining the Twist FlexPrep UHT Library Prep Kit with the CURIO™ bioinformatics platform, Twist Bioscience and Curio Genomics are addressing these barriers head-on. Their solution provides a sequencer-agnostic, end-to-end workflow that spans from library preparation to advanced data analysis. This holistic approach simplifies the transition to NGS, making it more accessible and cost-effective for researchers working with diverse plant and animal species.
Advantages of the Twist FlexPrep UHT Library Prep Kit
The Twist FlexPrep UHT Library Prep Kit is designed to offer researchers a streamlined and economically favorable workflow while scaling up assay throughput to accommodate thousands of samples. The kit supports the generation of high-complexity libraries for low-pass whole genome sequencing, expanding the depth and breadth of genomic data beyond single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Moreover, it ensures high concordance with array-based genotyping, making it a practical tool for researchers transitioning from microarrays to NGS.
Key benefits of the Twist FlexPrep UHT Kit include:
- Scalability: The kit supports high-throughput applications, making it ideal for large-scale agrigenomic studies.
- Flexibility: Researchers can use it to generate high-complexity libraries for both whole-genome and targeted sequencing.
- Efficiency: The kit streamlines library preparation, reducing manual labor and lowering overall costs.
- Compatibility: Designed to work seamlessly with multiple sequencing platforms, ensuring broad applicability across research needs.
CURIO™ Bioinformatics Platform: A Transformative Data Analysis Tool
The CURIO™ bioinformatics software and data platform complements the Twist FlexPrep UHT Kit by offering an all-in-one solution for genotyping, marker discovery, and fine mapping. Featuring an intuitive interface and scalable architecture, CURIO enables researchers to analyze vast amounts of NGS data quickly and efficiently. This platform is particularly valuable for those transitioning from microarrays, as it facilitates the comparison of historical data with newly generated NGS insights.
Key features of the CURIO platform include:
- Scalability: The platform can handle massive datasets, making it suitable for high-throughput agricultural genomics.
- Seamless Integration: Researchers can easily interpret NGS data alongside historical microarray results.
- Speed: The software delivers rapid analysis results, allowing for quicker decision-making.
- Cross-Species Compatibility: The platform supports analysis across various plant and animal species, making it a versatile tool for agrigenomics.
Driving NGS Adoption in Agrigenomics
Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience, emphasized the significance of this collaboration:
“Our FlexPrep UHT Library Prep Kit eliminates many of the traditional barriers that have slowed NGS adoption in agrigenomics – making high-throughput genotyping faster, easier, and more accessible than ever. By collaborating with Curio, we can now pair our FlexPrep UHT Kit with a robust, easy-to-use, cost-effective software platform to conduct high-volume data analysis across array and NGS data from any animal or plant species. From library prep to data analytics, we believe this streamlined offering will facilitate a shift from microarray to next-generation sequencing.”
Shawn Quinn, CTO and co-founder of Curio Genomics, also highlighted the transformative potential of this partnership:
“With our CURIO platform, we can provide researchers with a scalable, approachable way to analyze their data across species type and depth of coverage, enabling them to transition quickly from data generation to actionable insights. By offering our platform with Twist’s FlexPrep UHT Library Prep Kit technology, we are making it easier for researchers to bridge historical microarray and new NGS data, analyze diverse species, and accelerate breakthroughs in agricultural genomics.”
Presentation at Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) Agricultural Meeting
To showcase the benefits of their combined technologies, Twist Bioscience and Curio Genomics will present a poster at the upcoming Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) Agricultural Meeting:
- Poster Title: Switching from Arrays to Sequence-Based Genotyping in Cattle
- Date: Monday, March 31
- Time: 6:15 – 9:00 PM
- Location: Caribbean Ballroom IV – VII
This presentation will provide insights into the transition from microarrays to sequence-based genotyping, demonstrating how researchers can leverage Twist and Curio’s technologies to enhance agricultural genomic research.
Technical Innovation: The Twist FlexPrep™ UHT Library Preparation Kit Workflow
The Twist FlexPrep™ UHT Kit is built upon Twist’s established enzymatic fragmentation methods, significantly improving the efficiency of NGS library preparation. One of the most innovative aspects of the kit is the Normalization by Ligation™ (NBL) technology, which eliminates the need for DNA sample mass measurement and labor-intensive concentration adjustments before library preparation.
The workflow includes:
- Fragmentation and Adapter Ligation: Each DNA sample undergoes enzymatic fragmentation and adapter ligation, reducing preparation time and complexity.
- Pooling Strategy: Up to 12 samples can be pooled into a single tube, optimizing reagent use and reducing costs.
- Reduced Hands-on Time: The simplified protocol significantly minimizes the labor required for bead purification and amplification steps.
- Automation Compatibility: The kit is designed to integrate seamlessly with key automation systems, further streamlining high-throughput workflows.
These innovations translate to lower per-sample costs, making NGS a more viable option for large-scale agrigenomic studies compared to traditional methods.
