Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit - FAQs

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29 product FAQs found

What are the recommended conditions for long-term storage of my libraries?

For long-term storage, libraries should be stored concentrated (dilutions recommended for template preparation are not intended for long term storage) in LoBind tubes in low TE in non-frost free freezer at -20 degrees C.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

If adapter dimers are present in my library, can they be detected using the Ion Library TaqMan Quantitation Kit (qPCR)?

No, the Ion Library TaqMan Quantitation Kit for qPCR library quantification is unable to differentiate amplifiable primer-dimers from library fragments. We recommend assessing the library size distribution, including checking for the presence of adapter dimers, using the Bioanalyzer instrument. Libraries containing adapter dimers will have sharp peaks at ~70 bp for non-barcoded libraries or ~90 bp for barcoded libraries.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

I tried quantifying my amplified library with both the Ion Library Quantitation Kit (qPCR) and the Bioanalyzer instrument. The concentration according to qPCR is lower than the Bioanalyzer instrument. Which concentration should I use?

We recommend using the qPCR result, as quantification by qPCR is generally more accurate than quantification using the Bioanalyzer instrument.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

Can the Ion Library Equalizer Kit (Cat. No. 4482298) be used to normalize 400-base read libraries?

Currently, the Ion Library Equalizer Kit is validated and only recommended for use with up to 300-base read libraries.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

For quantification of my library on the Bioanalyzer instrument, do I have to amplify my library first?

We highly recommend quantifying unamplified libraries using qPCR, as it specifically measures the amplifiable (or usable) library fragments present. Unamplified libraries will contain unadapted and improperly adapted fragments, which will be included in quantification data obtained if using the Bioanalyzer instrument. Library quantification on the Bioanalyzer instrument using the Agilent High Sensitivity DNA Kit is only recommended for amplified libraries, as the library amplification process selects for properly adapted library fragments.

The Bioanalyzer instrument can be used to assess the size distribution of both amplified and unamplified libraries. Please see the Ion Xpress Plus gDNA Fragment Library Preparation User Guide (Pub. No. 4471989) for detailed information. If using the Bioanalyzer instrument for quantification of unamplified libraries, please note that this method will generally underestimate the concentration of usable library fragments and a library input titration may be necessary to optimize template preparation.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

What are the recommended methods to quantify and qualify my libraries?

We recommend quantifying libraries using the Ion Library Quantitation Kit (Cat. No. 4468802) for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) or the Bioanalyzer instrument. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.

The qPCR method is the most accurate and is recommended for both unamplified and amplified libraries, as it specifically measures the amplifiable (or usable) library fragments present. Unamplified libraries will contain unadapted and improperly adapted fragments, which will be included in quantification data obtained if using the Bioanalyzer instrument. The main disadvantage to qPCR is that it does not provide any library size information.

Library quantification on the Bioanalyzer instrument using the Agilent High Sensitivity DNA Kit provides both library concentration and size distribution information. This is only recommended for amplified libraries, as the library amplification process selects for properly adapted library fragments. The library quantification information obtained using the Bioanalyzer instrument is generally not as accurate, as qPCR quantification.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

I have a low input sample, what fragmentation method is recommended?

For samples with 50-100 ng input, we recommend enzymatic shearing with the Ion Shear Plus Reagents Kit. Samples with 1 µg input are compatible with both enzymatic and physical shearing methods (e.g., Bioruptor or Covaris sonication instruments). Physical fragmentation methods using sonication are generally more reproducible and reliable with higher input amounts (e.g., 1 µg).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

I have a precious sample, how should I proceed into fragmentation?

Begin by optimizing with only a portion (such as half or less) of the sample first and assessing the shearing or fragmentation profiles using the Agilent Bioanalyzer instrument and Agilent High Sensitivity DNA Kit to ensure the fragments are within the desired size range.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

When should I consider designing my own amplicons versus using the Ion Ampliseq Designer and Ion AmpliSeq technology?

The Ion AmpliSeq Designer (www.ampliseq.com) supports custom designs for targets in the human and mouse genomes. There are two design option sizes 125-175 bp, recommended for degraded DNA samples, and 125-275 bp, recommended for standard DNA input. Ion Ampliseq technology is a simple, fast, and affordable targeted sequencing strategy based on ultrahigh-multiplex PCR. The library preparation is completed in as little as 3.5 hours using 10 ng of DNA per PCR. To learn more about Ion Ampliseq technology, please review the Ion Ampliseq FAQs.

For other genomes (non-human or non-mouse) or applications requiring longer reads (up to 400-base reads), we recommend designing your own amplicons.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

For the fusion primer method of small amplicon library preparation, why does the recommended P1 fusion primer sequence use a truncated sequence (23 nt) compared to the standard Ion P1 Adapter (41 nt) used for the adapter ligation method?

The 23 nt P1adapter sequence length (or trP1 sequence) is the minimum sequence required for compatibility with the Ion template preparation kits. The shorter sequence allows for longer inserts (less of the recommended library size is taken up by the adapter sequence) and is more cost efficient for fusion primer synthesis.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

For short amplicon library construction, when would you choose the fusion primer method versus the adapter ligation approach?

The fusion primer approach is faster and does not require any additional kits; however, this approach requires the use of custom primers (supports both barcoded and non-barcoded) and may also require some PCR condition optimizations for target amplification. Libraries constructed using the fusion primer method and truncated P1 adapter sequence are not compatible with the Ion Library Quantitation Kit for qPCR library quantification or the Ion Library Equalizer Kit for library normalization.

The adapter ligation approach has a longer workflow and requires the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit, but does not require any additional custom, fusion primers and is compatible with both the Ion Library Quantitation Kit and Ion Library Equalizer Kit.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

How do I maintain the highest amount of library complexity, optimal for de novo and large genome sequencing?

To maintain the highest amount of library complexity, it is recommended to use 1 µg of DNA input and omit the optional, final library amplification. In order to further reduce bias, fragment the DNA using a physical fragmentation, and use the Ion Library Quantitation Kit (Cat. No. 4468802) for qPCR quantification of the library. The Agilent 2100 BioAnalyzer can be used to assess the library size distribution, but it is not recommended for quantification of unamplified libraries.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

For designing an amplicon library, what are some tips?

PCR primer design guidelines:
- Use standard guidelines to design PCR primers for your region of interest. For design assistance, use a web tool such as Primer3, available at http://frodo.wi.mit.edu/primer3.
- Design your primers so that any sequence variants of interest are located between the primers, so that those variants are not masked by the template-specific part of the primer sequences.
- When designing primers for short amplicons (<350 bp), design the primers so that the amplicons do not exceed the maximum insert size for the desired target read length of the library. If you would like to sequence through the entire insert, design the primers so that the amplicon does not exceed the target read length.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

My target is longer than the recommended insert length for the library read length (e.g., 550 bp for 400 base-read libraries), but I only need to sequence the first 300 bases. Can I proceed to library construction without shearing or fragmenting the DNA?

Libraries with insert sizes that are longer than the recommended insert length may not amplify efficiently onto the Ion Sphere particles (ISPs) during template preparation. This will result in low quality ISPs that will likely have suboptimal sequencing results, including shorter than expected read lengths. We recommend either redesigning the target amplicon to be shorter or shearing the DNA to the recommended insert length.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

For the Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) and the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252), what is the recommended fragment insert and total library size?

Ion PGM System
Target Read Length: 400 bases; Median Insert Size: ~410 bp; Median Library Size*: ~480 bp
Target Read Length: 300 bases; Median Insert Size: ~320 bp; Median Library Size*: ~390 bp
Target Read Length: 200 bases; Median Insert Size: ~260 bp; Median Library Size*: ~330 bp
Target Read Length: 100 bases; Median Insert Size: ~130 bp; Median Library Size*: ~200 bp
* The median library size includes the insert size plus the Ion A adapter or Ion Barcoded A adapter and the Ion P1 adapter sizes.

Ion Proton System
Target Read Length: 200 bases; Median Insert Size: ~200 bp; Median Library Size*: ~270 bp
Target Read Length: 150 bases; Median Insert Size: ~150 bp; Median Library Size*: ~220 bp
* The median library size includes the insert size plus the Ion A adapter or Ion Barcoded A adapter and the Ion P1 adapter sizes.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

Can I use the same library preparation kit for the Ion PGM and Proton systems?

Yes, the Ion library adapters A and P1 are compatible with both the Ion PGM and Proton systems. Currently, the Ion PGM System supports up to 400-base reads (or ~470 bp library sizes) and the Ion Proton System supports up to 200-base reads (or ~ 270 bp library sizes).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

For the DNA input, what is required? Does RNA need to be removed?

High-quality RNA-free DNA is required. The quality of the input DNA has a significant impact on the quality of the resulting library. A number of commercially available kits are available for isolation of high molecular weight, RNA-free genomic DNA. If your purification did not contain an RNase I digest, please refer to Appendix C of the Ion Xpress Plus gDNA Fragment Library Preparation User Guide for information about assessing the integrity and size of your input DNA material and performing an optional RNase treatment procedure.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

The user guide for the Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) and Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252) gives the option of either low (50-100 ng) or a high (1 µg) DNA input. Which starting input amount should I use?

The DNA input amount will depend on the amount of DNA that can be isolated from the sample of interest and the application. For example, in order to construct a library with the highest complexity (e.g., vertebrate genomic library), it is recommended to start with 1 µg of DNA input, fragment by sonication (to reduce bias), not to perform library amplification (to maximize complexity), and to quantify the library by qPCR. Lower input (50-100 ng) amounts are sufficient for lower complexity libraries, such as amplicon libraries, or when the starting material is limiting. Please note that a final library amplification may be required for DNA inputs ? 100 ng. Finally, keep in mind that certain library preparation protocols require high DNA input (e.g., TargetSeq, ChIP-Seq, and Mate-Paired libraries).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

I want to prepare an amplicon library. Which library kit and protocol should I use?

For the preparation of short amplicon libraries, we recommend two options:

1. Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252) and the Preparing Short Amplicons (<350 bp) Libraries Using the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (MAN0006846) User Bulletin. Briefly, this kit and protocol combination requires amplification of the short amplicon targets, end repair of the PCR products, followed by adapter ligation and library quality control/quantification.
2. Fusion primer method, as described in the Ion Amplicon Library Preparation (Fusion Method, Cat. No. 4468326) User Guide. Briefly, the targets of interest are amplified using fusion primers, or primers containing both the target and Ion adapter specific sequences, followed by PCR reaction clean up and library quality control/quantification.

For the preparation of long amplicon libraries we recommend the Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) and the Preparing Long Amplicons (>400 bp) Libraries Using the Ion Xpress Plus Fragment library kit (MAN0007044) User Bulletin. Briefly, this kit and protocol combination requires amplification of the amplicon targets, shearing of the long amplicons with the Ion Shear Plus Reagents, adapter ligation, size selection, and library quality control /quantification.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

What are the sequences of the Ion A and P1 adapters used for library preparation?

The Ion A and P1 adapter sequences can be found in the Appendix of the Ion Xpress Plus gDNA Fragment Library Preparation User Guide (Pub. No. 4471989).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

How many libraries can be made from the Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) or the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252)?

The Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit and Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit contain reagents sufficient for preparing ? 20 libraries at 100 ng DNA input and ? 10 libraries at 1 µg DNA input.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

What is the difference between the Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) and Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252)?

The Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) and the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252) are both used for the construction of fragment DNA and amplicon DNA libraries. The Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit is the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit plus the Ion Shear Plus Reagents Kit, which is used for enzymatic shearing of the input DNA for library preparation. The Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit should be selected if using physical fragmentation (e.g., Bioruptor or Covaris instruments) or if no DNA fragmentation is required (e.g., short amplicon input).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

What is the difference between a DNA fragment library and a DNA amplicon library?

A DNA fragment library is constructed from whole genomic DNA and is commonly used for whole genome resequencing or de novo sequencing. Briefly, the whole genomic DNA is fragmented or sheared, ligated with Ion-specific adapter sequences, and then size-selected for the library fragments of the desired length.

Amplicon libraries are constructed from PCR-amplified DNA fragments and are used for targeted sequencing (e.g., investigating variants at known genomic locations). There are two types of amplicon libraries, short and long.

A short amplicon library contains DNA fragments (targets) with lengths that are compatible with the Ion template preparation kits without any further shearing or fragmentation during library preparation. Additionally, no size-selection step is required, as the amplicons are already within the desired size range.

A long amplicon library contains DNA fragments (targets) with lengths that are longer than those compatible with the Ion template kits and requires further shearing or fragmentation during library preparation. The library preparation protocol for long amplicons is similar to fragment libraries.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

How many libraries can I make with the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (48 rxns)?

The Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit, 48 rxns (Cat. No. A28950) provides reagents for preparing up to 96 libraries at 100 ng input, or up to 48 libraries at 1 µg input.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

Can I make libraries on the Ion Chef Instrument using the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (48 rxns)?

No, only Ion AmpliSeq libraries can be made on the Ion Chef Instrument.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

Does the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (48 rxns) come with enyzmatic shearing reagents?

No, the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (48 rxns) is only compatible with samples that have been mechanically sheared using a sonicator such as the Bioruptor UCD-200 or the Bioruptor NGS UCD-600 Sonication System.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

The Bioanalyzer instrument trace of my fragment library shows a large peak at 70 bp or 90 bp. What can cause this? Is it okay to proceed to template preparation?

The ~70 bp or ~90 bp peak is likely standard or barcoded adapter dimers, respectively. Adapter dimers may form during the adapter ligation step and are usually removed during the size selection process. The adapter dimers will amplify on the Ion Torrent Ion Sphere particles during template preparation and decrease the overall throughput of usable sequencing reads; thus, we highly recommend removing the adapter dimers by performing an additional clean-up step prior to template preparation.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

I would like to perform Next-Generation sequencing but my final library yield is poor. What are some tips for improving my yield?

In addition to input RNA quality and accurate quantification, the clean-up and size selection steps are critical to generating a successful RNA-Seq library.

- Be sure to mix the nucleic acid binding beads well before dispensing, and follow the workflow and incubation times as closely as possible.
- Use fresh ethanol and pre-wet pipette tips prior to transferring ethanol, as the volume is critical for size selection.
- Remove residual ethanol before elution using a small-volume pipette. Do not over-dry or under-dry the beads.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.

I want to prepare a DNA fragment library for Next-Generation sequencing. Which library preparation kit and protocol should I use?

We recommend using the Ion Torrent Ion Xpress Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471269) for preparing libraries using the Ion Shear enzymatic shearing method, or the Ion Plus Fragment Library Kit (Cat. No. 4471252) if using physical fragmentation. The protocol for both library kits is included in the Ion Xpress Plus gDNA Fragment Library Preparation User Guide (Pub. No. 4471989). Please also refer to the Decision Tree for DNA Sequencing on the Ion PGM System and the Decision Tree for the Ion Proton System for more information.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Next-Generation Sequencing Support Center.