The HeliScope™ Single Molecule Sequencer is the first genetic analyzer to harness the power of direct DNA measurement, enabled by Helicos True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS)™ technology. As the world’s first DNA microscope, the HeliScope instrument performs tSMS chemistry and captures images to observe sequencing-by-synthesis reactions for billions of individual DNA molecules in parallel.Single molecule sequencing:
- Detects incorporation of individual bases on individual strands, eliminating the need for amplification and its associated biases and errors.
- Produces “digital data”, avoiding errors caused by de-phasing or intensity averaging techniques, and thereby generates consistently low error rates across all read lengths, resulting in high quality experiments.
- Offers simple sample preparation and high sample capacity per run, enabling you to combine different methods and applications in novel ways for a more complete understanding of the genome.
The HeliScope Single Molecule Sequencer images billions of single molecules per run and produces over one gigabase of usable sequence data per day – a throughput performance almost 100X greater than Sanger methods, and faster than any of the "next-generation" methodologies. This superior output increases lab productivity, opens new research avenues and dramatically reduces the time needed to complete any size genomic experiment – making the HeliScope Sequencer the most powerful genomic analysis tool available.
The HeliScope Single Molecule Sequencer:
- Utilizes an advanced fluidics and optics configuration, performing strand synthesis and imaging simultaneously to maximize run efficiency.
- Provides you the simplicity and flexibility to balance numerous experimental factors associated with today’s experiments, including those applications requiring high coverage, strand counting or both – all at a cost lower than other technologies.
- Currently outperforms any other genetic analysis technology, yet is designed to accommodate future enhancements in accuracy and throughput without the need to upgrade the instrument.