NEBNext Direct enrichment technology is by far the fastest and most automation friendly protocol available today. I can have samples on the sequencer in 6 hours starting from genomic DNA. The technology produces very high on target percentages (>90%) for even very small panels, and in combination with molecular barcoding produces low duplication rates. From an optimization perspective, NEBNext Direct enrichment allows me to assign individual captured fragments to a probe unambiguously, thus giving the opportunity for optimizing the coverage distribution of any target.

Using the NEBNext Direct kit, we were able to detect all known single nucleotide variants and indels in DNA extracted from fresh frozen or FFPE tissue derived from glioma biopsies. We could also clearly see amplification in genes like EGFR or PDGFR. The workflow is really easy and fast and can be rapidly implemented in a lab.

The kit and its technology are easy to use and easy to automate, allowing us to get up and running quickly. The protocol itself is fast and efficient to obtain deep coverage of targets, giving homogeneous results for FFPE and frozen tumors, therefore opening doors for customized panels.