Boulder, CO – Factorial Biotechnologies, an emerging single-cell sequencing company with a novel intracellular library preparation technology, has announced a collaboration with Watchmaker Genomics, a life sciences company that specializes in developing high-stringency applications for reading, writing, and editing of DNA and RNA. This collaboration will focus on further optimizing a disruptive technology that enables preparation of complete whole genome and RNA libraries within intact cells.
Preparing sequencing libraries within cell membranes sidesteps the physical cell isolation required in typical single-cell workflows. The resulting workflow is comparable in cost, time, and scalability to traditional library prep workflows for bulk sequencing. “Factorial’s in-cell library technology provides a promising solution for affordable and robust single-cell sequencing unlike anything else currently on the market,” said Trey Foskett, Co-Founder and CEO of Watchmaker.
The in-cell library preparation approach is completely novel, requiring the use of highly optimized and robust enzymes. That’s where Watchmaker Genomics comes in. “The sensitivity of our in-cell assays requires high precision enzymes that offer superior performance and consistent results,” said John Wells, Co-Founder and CEO of Factorial Biotechnologies. “Our partnership with Watchmaker Genomics has given us access to best-in-class enzymes and the expertise of their team to accelerate the development of our in-cell library prep assays.”
The intention behind the collaboration is to significantly expand access to single-cell sequencing in terms of cost, ease of execution, and diversity of sample inputs (low volume/rare cells) and outputs (target enrichment, RNA, and whole genomes), leading to new multi-omic capabilities at unprecedented scale. Watchmaker Genomics and Factorial Biotechnologies envision a future where virtually any sequencing application can practically achieve single cell resolution. “We are excited to be part of the development of a technology that can potentially generate data that accurately represents true biological features,” said Foskett.
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About Factorial Biotechnologies:
Factorial Biotechnologies is an emerging company developing a novel in-cell library preparation technology. In-cell library prep allows for single-cell NGS libraries at cost, workflow, and content parity to bulk NGS libraries. Based in San Carlos, California, Factorial Biotechnologies was co-founded by John Wells and Katie Zobeck, Ph.D. The team encompasses expertise in NGS hardware, library prep, and bioinformatics.
About Watchmaker Genomics:
Watchmaker Genomics applies advanced enzymology to enable breakthrough applications for the reading, writing, and editing of DNA and RNA. The company combines deep domain expertise in protein engineering with large-scale enzyme manufacturing to address high-growth genomics applications’ demanding quality, performance, and scale requirements.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Watchmaker Genomics is co-founded by Trey Foskett, Brian Kudlow, and Stephen Picone. The team brings decades of collective experience building successful life science companies, commercializing novel technologies, and advancing clinical genomics applications. Watchmaker’s product portfolio includes enzymes and kits for next-generation sequencing library preparation, synthetic biology, and molecular diagnostics. Watchmaker partners directly with innovative life science companies, commercial sequencing providers, and pioneering research labs.