Your lab has made the leap into the next generation sequencing world. It's an amazing technology that has exceeded the boundaries of what traditional sequencing methods could support. With tons of moving parts in the HiSeq, the list of possible errors you can encounter during a run is seemingly endless.
This quicker sequencing capability also brings the concern of bigger and costlier repairs or even annual maintenance service. To avoid sub-par results from your samples, a preventative maintenance visit should be scheduled at least once a year for your HiSeq.
Of course, you can follow machine care protocol, cross your fingers, and pray that you don’t have to call in the warranty. However, an annual preventative maintenance visit from a service professional can alleviate your concerns while also extending the life of your machine and ensure optimal results from your runs.
If you choose to upgrade to Illumina’s Comprehensive or Advantage contract, you’ll receive one annual preventative maintenance visit for your HiSeq. However, if you didn’t upgrade, you’re left out in the cold to fend for yourself. All is not lost, because fortunately with SeqGen’s newly announced NGS service division, you can leave the preventative maintenance to our knowledgeable team, and focus on your samples.
SeqGen's team of dedicated service engineers are trained to meet the OEM standards, and we guarantee that all subsystems on your HiSeq will meet manufacturer benchmarks. SeqGen’s NGS preventative maintenance focuses on 5 main pillars that can have a major effect on your machine’s health.
5 Pillars of NGS Service:
- Optics/Data
- Fluidics
- Temperature
- Flow cell holder
- The Computer
We don't need to tell you the importance of having your HiSeq operating at its full potential, but it can be difficult to determine if your machine is in need of a preventative maintenance visit. But luckily there are a few tell-tale signs to look for in each area. If you feel that your HiSeq performance is beginning to decline, and you’re noticing discrepancies in your data, contact SeqGen today to speak to one of our experts.
PS: Look out for next week’s blog topic, when we will give you a more in-depth look at few of these tell-tale signs.
