Roll-to-roll method streamlines DNA sequencing with faster, more efficient fluidics

Researchers at Beijing Genomics and IMDEA Nanociencia institutes have introduced a novel method that could significantly accelerate efficiency and reduce the cost of handling fluidics in DNA sequencing.

Traditional DNA sequencing relies on flow cells, where liquid reagents are repeatedly pumped in and out for each of the sequencing reactions. For large-scale sequencing, this process involves immersing silicon wafers into reagents—a method that works well at industrial scale but is impractical for smaller labs or clinical settings, where sample sizes are limited and drying effects become a problem.

The new approach turns that process on its head. Instead of pumping fluids through a chamber, the researchers use a roll-to-roll technique that gently shears the liquid across the surface. This dramatically improves efficiency, allowing reagents to be replaced more quickly and uses up to 85 times less material. As a result, DNA sequencing that once took days can now be completed in under 12 hours, with significantly lower reagent costs.

The results have been published in Nature Methods.

“It’s a new way of thinking about fluidics,” said Prof. Thomas Hermans. “It is the classical textbook example—an ideal fluidic system with a moving wall. Until now, it has found little use, because previous implementations were very impractical. But with this roll-to-roll approach, we’ve now made this textbook concept a reality.”

The contribution of Prof. Hermans was key for rationalizing the fluid dynamics in this new system, using numerical simulations to understand pressure drop and mass transfer efficiencies across the device. This new method could have far-reaching implications, not just for DNA sequencing, but for a wide range of applications in health care and beyond.