A Tale of Two Techniques - Why AFA® Shearing Outperforms Enzymatic Fragmentation in NGS Workflows

Date: June 26, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM  PT, 12:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM CEST

DNA fragmentation is a crucial first step in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflows—from Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) to ChIP-seq and Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) testing. How DNA is fragmented can significantly impact the consistency, accuracy, and efficiency of sequencing data. Whether working with germline DNA from blood, saliva, or cell lines—or somatic DNA from FFPE tissues—Covaris ensures consistent, high-quality results with minimal need for workflow optimization, simplifying implementation across labs. 

In this webinar, Dr. Lisette Payero from Covaris will walk us through the advantages of mechanical fragmentation using Adaptive Focused Acoustics® (AFA®) compared to enzyme-based approaches. Unlike enzymatic methods, which can introduce variability and sequence bias, Covaris AFA technology delivers precise, reproducible fragmentation across diverse sample types and input amounts. 

The session will cover how fragmentation choice impacts sequencing quality—such as insert size consistency, library complexity, and GC bias—and how Covaris AFA supports a more efficient, scalable, and reliable workflow. Real-world data will show how switching to AFA improves operational efficiency and enhances data integrity.

Learning Objectives:

• Critical mechanistic differences between sample processing enabled by enzymatic and AFA® Technologies
• Real-world impact fragmentation method selection has on NGS data 
• Unique applications that can benefit more from AFA® Technology compared to enzymes