FAQ

What sample types can I process with the Asteria™ single-cell RNAseq Kit?

Currently, the Asteria™ single-cell RNAseq kit has been validated to process mammalian cells, including primary and cultured cell lines.

Can I stop the experiment and resume later? If so, how long after I started processing my sample?

Yes, the Asteria™ single-cell RNA seq kit features a stopping point 2 hours after starting the protocol. The sample can then be safely stored at -80 °C for three days without loss of transcriptomic information. Stability for a longer period is being tested and further data will be made available soon.

Which library preparation kit(s) is recommended to prepare my cDNA for sequencing?

We recommend using the NEBNext ® Ultra II FS DNA Library Prep kit from New England Biolabs and the Illumina Nextera XT kit, for optimal sequencing results with the Asteria™ single-cell RNA-seq kit. We will expand this list as we validate other library preparation kits.

Do I need lab equipement for the Asteria™ single-cell RNA sequencing kit?

The use of Asteria™ single-cell RNA seq kit only requires basic cell and molecular biology laboratory equipment. A shortlist is available below,

please refer to the User Guide for more details.

• Heat block
• PCR thermocycler
• Centrifuge
• Cell counting equipment (microscope and C-chips from Nanotek are recommended)
• Orbital shaker
• Benchtop centrifuge for 1.5 mL microtubes
• Mini-centrifuge for 1.5 mL microtubes
• Rotator/wheel for 1.5 mL microtubes
• Calibrated Micropipettes (P10, P20, P200, P1000)
• Vortex mixer

The use of the kit requires the following consumables and reagents:

• Sterile serological pipets (5, 10 and 25 mL)
• Sterile and nuclease-free micropipette filtered tips (low-retention tips are recommended)
• DNase/RNase-free 1.5 mL microtubes
• DNase/RNase-free PCR strips
• Molecular biology grade DNase/RNase-free water
• 0.1M NaOH solution (freshly prepared from Molecular biology grade stock solution)

How many input cells can I use in a sample preparation experiment?

The current protocol is designed to start with 10,000 to 15,000 input cells per sample. The current kit provides enough reagents to label a large number of cells and to run 4 such samples.

Where can I order the Asteria™ single-cell RNA sequencing kit?

We invite you to find the contact of your local distributor on this page. If no distributor yet covers your country, we will deliver the kit to you ourselves and we invite you to fill out our contact form here.

How can I access the Cytonaut™ cloud-based analysis software?

Everyone can access the Cytonaut™ software by creating a free account. By default, you will be able to explore demo data in read-only mode to play with the features of the software. If you want to run your own data, at the moment you will need to purchase the Asteria™ Single-Cell RNA sequencing kit to generate your data.

Do I need to download a software or packages on my computer to use Cytonaut™?

Cytonaut™ is entirely cloud-based, meaning the entire analysis is managed through our web interface. You can access your analysis from anywhere, and the computational analysis is run remotely.