•   firefly+ liquid handling platform installed at EMBL GeneCore
• Collaboration to enable more streamlined end-to-end workflows while maintaining sample integrity

Cambridge, UK, and Heidelberg, Germany: SPT Labtech, a global leader in the design and development of laboratory automation and liquid handling solutions, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s Genomics Core Facility (EMBL GeneCore), today announced a collaboration to advance fully walkaway automated genomics workflows. As part of the collaboration, SPT Labtech’s firefly^®+ all-in-one liquid handling platform has been installed at EMBL GeneCore, an internationally recognized, state-of-the-art genomics service center.

Through the installation of firefly+, EMBL GeneCore will expand its capacity to develop new protocols and further validate and optimize existing workflows for challenging applications such as low-input and metagenomics samples to support the broader genomics community. SPT Labtech’s firefly+ all-in-one liquid handling platform is a compact and highly flexible automation solution designed to simplify complex genomics workflows, combining pipetting, dispensing, incubating, and shaking technologies into a single instrument.

The automated protocols use New England Biolabs^® (NEB) library preparation kits, NEBNext^®, to generate high-yield, high-quality libraries from a wide input range. Designed for simplicity and efficiency, the kits enable development of low bias, high-sensitivity NGS protocols, with minimal plastic waste.

Installation of SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform at EMBL GeneCore, combined with the simplicity of NEB^® kits, creates a robust foundation for fully walkaway automation, enabling more streamlined, end-to-end workflows and supporting labs to scale automation more easily.

Vladimir Benes, Head of Genomics Core Facility (GeneCore) at EMBL, said: “The installation of SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform as part of our collaboration underscores our commitment to remain at the forefront of scientific innovation. Fully walkaway automation will address key bottlenecks in genomics workflows, helping us develop  high-quality, scalable NGS protocols.”

Morten Frost, Chief Commercial Officer, SPT Labtech, commented: “Our latest collaboration with EMBL GeneCore marks a significant step towards advancing fully walkaway automation, providing end-to-end genomics workflows for a much wider range of applications, including environmental and rare species research. We are excited to expand access to our firefly+ platform in Europe through collaboration in the biotech hub of Heidelberg, where strong industry collaborations are driving ecosystem growth.”

Bjoern Textor PhD, Sales and Senior Applications Manager, New England Biolabs GmbH, added: “Integration of our library prep kits with SPT Labtech’s firefly+ platform at EMBL GeneCore creates a compelling opportunity for faster, scalable DNA and RNA-Seq workflows, and we look forward to working together to develop novel solutions to overcome persistent challenges in genomics research.”

SPT Labtech’s firefly^®+ in use at EMBL GeneCore

Vladimir Benes, Head of Genomics Core Facility (GeneCore), EMBL

Morten Frost, CCO, SPT Labtech

Bjoern Textor PhD, Sales and Senior Applications Manager, New England Biolabs GmbH

About SPT Labtech https://www.sptlabtech.com/

SPT Labtech’s solutions are built to accelerate progress in genomics where demand for high-throughput and cost-effective workflows is ever-increasing. The company specializes in developing compact, user-friendly liquid handling platforms that specifically address the challenges of genomics applications, particularly in next-generation sequencing (NGS). Their flagship firefly platform simplifies complex workflows like NGS library preparation by integrating multiple functions—such as pipetting, dispensing, and incubating—into a single benchtop unit. Through strategic collaborations with key industry partners, SPT Labtech ensures its technologies are validated and optimized for a wide range of genomic chemistries, further cementing its position as a vital player in empowering genomics labs to achieve greater efficiency, reproducibility, and innovation.

About EMBL https://www.embl.org/

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is Europe’s life sciences laboratory. We provide leadership and coordination for the life sciences across Europe, and our world-class fundamental research seeks collaborative and interdisciplinary solutions for some of society’s biggest challenges. We provide training for students and scientists, drive the development of new technology and methods in the life sciences, and offer state-of-the-art research infrastructure for a wide range of experimental and data services.

EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation with 29 member states, one associate member, and one prospective member. At our six sites in Barcelona, Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Hinxton near Cambridge, and Rome, we seek to better understand life in its natural context, from molecules to ecosystems.

EMBL GeneCore is the in-house genomics service centre at EMBL equipped with state-of-the-art technologies required for functional genomics analyses and operated by highly-qualified staff.

About New England Biolabs

For over 50 years, New England Biolabs (NEB) has pioneered the discovery and production of innovative products tailored for molecular biology research. Our commitment to scientific discovery is evident in all that we do, including our ever-expanding product portfolio, investment in our basic and applied research program, and support of customers’ research in academia and industry, including cutting-edge technologies for use in molecular diagnostics and nucleic-acid vaccines development. Guided by our founding principles, NEB proactively invests in efforts to improve the well-being of our employees, surrounding communities, as well as the future of our planet. NEB remains a privately held company with global reach, supported by our headquarters in Ipswich, MA, USA, subsidiary offices in 11 countries, and over 60 distribution partners around the world. For more information about New England Biolabs, visit www.neb.com.

NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS^®, NEB^®, and NEBNEXT^® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.