19th May 2022 – Novogene, a leading provider of genomic services and solutions, has announced Falcon II, an intelligent next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform that can automatically deliver multiple NGS services for customers.

This follows the introduction of the previous generation – Falcon, the first intelligent delivery platform for NGS. The new Falcon II platform is a compact version of Falcon that significantly improves the efficiency, reliability, and quality of service delivery for NGS projects. Falcon II has been installed in Novogene’s Cambridge Sequencing Centre to provide customers with improved services to meet their sequencing requirements across Europe.

Falcon II brings significant advantages to how labs deliver NGS services, both in terms of direct customer and lab operational benefits.

Intelligent automation Falcon II integrates 16 sets of precision instruments to support multiple NGS services, such as RNA Sequencing and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). It enables a fully automated end-to-end process that includes sample Quality Control (QC), library preparation, and library QC. It can run 24/7/365 providing continuous production.

Falcon II Intelligent Delivery Platform

Improved accuracy and efficiency By reducing manual handling by up to 70% Falcon II enables a more robust and reliable NGS service. Replacing manual operations with standardised automated operations eliminates manual errors making the whole process more accurate, traceable and contamination-free. Production time is reduced by around 60% which enables a single Falcon II line to process up to 384 samples per day. Overall, monthly production capacity is estimated to increase by 200% compared to manual setups.

Flexibility Falcon II’s modular construction and relatively small footprint of 10m2 means it can be configured to suit all sorts of lab layouts and various experimental scenarios. When deployed across Novogene’s global network of labs Falcon II will add significant sequencing throughput and capacity.

Innovation Falcon II was designed and built entirely by the Novogene team. This includes hardware installation and software development which also covers intellectual property rights.

Falcon II running for NGS library preparation

The installation of the Falcon II system in the Novogene UK sequencing facility is just the first step as it is envisaged that Novogene labs and R&D centers in the United States, China and other regions around the world will implement the Falcon II system in the near future.

“Novogene’s customer-focused approach is at the core of our commitment to become the world’s leading provider of genomic solutions and services. We are always striving to enhance the customer experience through innovation. Falcon II is an example of how Novogene is leading the industry to transform operations with huge improvements in digitalisation and automation, ultimately leading to improved services, reduced turnaround time and greater accuracy.” Dr. Li Ruiqiang, founder and CEO of Novogene.

The launch of Falcon II underpins Novogene’s commitment to continuous improvement and bringing these innovations and advantages to the customer. With the help of intelligent systems like Falcon II, the user experience will continue to improve with better service delivery, quality and efficiency. Moreover, Falcon II could also be an accelerator for the implementation of Novogene’s Global localization strategy.

About Novogene Novogene is a leading provider of genomic services and solutions with cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics expertise. With one of the largest sequencing capacities in the world, we utilise our deep scientific knowledge, first-class customer service and unsurpassed data quality to help clients realise their research goals in the rapidly evolving world of genomics. With almost 2,000 employees, multiple locations around the world, 37 NGS related patents and over 670 publications in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science, we have rapidly become a world-leader in NGS services.

Our Sequencing Centre in the Cambridge Science Park offers our customers an unrivalled NGS service with a quick turn-around, exceptional data quality and expert PhD level advice and support throughout your project.