The Fast and the Fluorescent: icon96™ Automation Integration Proof of Concept 

Forget the brute force manual workflows of the past, it’s time to shift your high-throughput genomics into high gear! By connecting icon96 directly to your favorite liquid handler, you can ditch manual normalization and leave “batching” in the rearview mirror. Whether you’re qualifying NGS libraries or chasing the perfect qPCR curve, this integration ensures every one of your 96 wells gets individualized, real-time attention while you focus on the finish line.

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It’s time to let the robots take the wheel.

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Why integrate?

icon96 is more than a thermocycler. It’s a precision instrument designed for NGS Library amplification, quantification, and normalization via fluorescence detection and individualized well control. By integrating icon96 into your automated pipeline, your lab unlocks:

  • Decreased hand-on time: By running samples as they are and pooling them immediately after amplification, you can reduce hands-on time by up to 60%.
  • Reduced costs: AutoNorm™-enabled sample pooling can cut library prep spend for amplicon sequencing in half while improving the quality of your results.
  • Perfect cycling for every well: Traditional PCR treats all 96 samples identically, but the icon96 system provides independent control and real-time feedback for each individual sample, avoiding dropouts and minimizing duplications.

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What is needed to get started:

To begin, you simply need a lab equipped with an icon96 and your favorite liquid handler. That’s it!

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The API Toolbelt:

This proof of concept (PoC) leverages the n6 Software API to facilitate the autonomous operation of the instrument within a private network. The system utilizes a trust on first use (TOFU) pattern to establish trust for offline use and JSON Web Tokens (JWT) with login credentials for secure access. 

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The API manages four key areas:

  1. Authentication: Ensures only authorized users can interact with the system
  2. Devices: Allows for full management of connected devices, including operations such as operating the drawer, monitoring status, initiating reboots, and safely shutting down the hardware
  3. Protocols: Provides the ability to view, upload, and list protocols for execution
  4. Experiments: Offers full control to start, stop, and monitor the real-time status of 96-well runs, as well as retrieve data

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The Workflow:

Here’s a high-level, automated workflow your automated platform will execute:

  1. System verification: The software queries the instrument to verify an “idle” before initiating the protocol
  2. Drawer operation (Open): A command is sent to the open-drawer endpoint. The system monitors the device state until the action is complete.
  3. Plate loading: Operator verifies that the plate holder is empty and an external robotic arm loads the 96-well plate into the holder.
  4. Drawer operation (Close): The software commands the drawer to close and waits for the device to report the action is complete  and the status returns to "Idle".
  5. Experiment initiation and status monitoring: The selected protocol initiates and the system periodically polls for fluorescence data to display until it reaches a terminal state (ex. “Completed”)
  6. Plate Recovery: The software confirms the device is "Idle", sends a command to open the drawer, and directs the external robotic arm to recover the plate.
  7. Data Retrieval: The software retrieves the required run data to download the experiment report.

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The bottom line

By connecting icon96 to your automation software, you eliminate the manual bottlenecks and brute-force workflows of traditional NGS library prep. This PoC demonstrates how your lab can achieve faster prep, lower operational costs, and vastly better data quality through a fully walk-away integrated system.

👉 Download the n6 Automation Brochure to see how icon96 can help transform your high-throughput lab into a precision powerhouse.

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