The hottest Instrumentation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Working in Glass

Asimov Press • 322 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Learning to make and modify glassware let chemists build cheap, hands-on experiments and get repeatable results; teaching glassblowing spread that do-it-yourself approach.
  2. Advances in glass chemistry and manufacturing—especially borosilicate formulations and standardized fittings—made labware tougher, more accurate, and interchangeable, which helped standardize modern labs.
  3. Glassblowing shifted from a core skill to a specialized trade as industrial brands mass-produced equipment, but glass remains essential for optics and high-temperature work while plastics handle many disposable tasks.

Countable Labs

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Countable Labs is building a novel PCR instrument that acts like digital PCR but runs inside a single tube.
  2. Their method seems to isolate individual molecules in a gel, amplify them, and image the fluorescence directly in the tube to enable multiplexed detection.
  3. Public details are limited, so people are looking through patents to understand the technical specifics.

Making the Vortex Mixer

Asimov Press • 245 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. A simple motorized device called the vortex mixer uses a rubber cup and tight orbital motion to create a vortex that quickly mixes liquids in tubes and small vessels.
  2. The inventors combined technical skill and business savvy to prototype, patent, and commercialize the mixer, then improved it with features like touch activation, speed control, and multi-tube heads.
  3. Vortex mixers made mixing faster, cleaner, and less prone to contamination, becoming a ubiquitous and essential tool in modern biology labs.

Future Of Protein Sequencing

ASeq Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Protein sequencing is much harder than DNA sequencing and has fewer broad, foundational applications, making commercial success expensive and difficult.
  2. Without big academic champions and large research projects to drive adoption, companies are forced into niche revenue paths that pull development away from a general-purpose sequencing platform.
  3. There are realistic niche opportunities like biopharma QA/QC and sensitive biomarker detection, but turning protein sequencing into a widely used tool will require sustained funding, risk tolerance, and strong research adopters.

Roche Axelios - My Current Understanding

ASeq Newsletter • 36 implied HN points • 07 Mar 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Roche’s Axelios can deliver genomes far cheaper than competitors — the headline is $150/genome, but a near‑Illumina quality simplex 30x genome may be around $30, with duplex offered for higher accuracy.
  2. Initial 19‑hour prep times looked concerning, but an SBX‑Fast workflow suggests similar throughput with about a 3.5‑hour prep; final workflows (especially for simplex) aren’t public and prep time could still affect margins.
  3. The system uses small disposable sensor chips that Roche claims can be reused (~20×), so chip cost likely only adds a modest amount (probably under ~$100) to each run rather than being a major cost driver.
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More Roche SBX Workflow Thoughts

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. There are two Axelios workflows being compared: SBX-D is a duplex, multi-day protocol around 19 hours, while SBX-Fast completes in roughly 3.5 hours.
  2. Collected run data were used to directly compare SBX-D and SBX-Fast to show their relative throughput and performance differences.
  3. The comparison highlights trade-offs between speed and duplex capability, so choosing a workflow depends on whether higher throughput or shorter turnaround time is more important.

Real Roche Chips!

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. Clear images of Roche SBX chips from AGBT have surfaced and are being shared on Discord.
  2. The photos use colored 'party' lighting and lack a neutral background or scale, which makes careful inspection harder.
  3. A 2.54 mm pitch SIL header visible in the picture is being used as a scale to de-skew the image and estimate PCB dimensions, while fuller measurements and analysis are in a paid subscriber post.

Syndex Bio/Ultima

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Syndex Bio’s mcPCR can copy both DNA sequence and methylation marks during amplification, effectively enabling ‘PCR for methylation’. This should improve testing of small or non‑invasive oncology samples for earlier detection and recurrence monitoring.
  2. Ultima Genomics launched a cheaper (~$850K) second instrument (ug200) that removes a separate ePCR step and doubles output per wafer, boosting throughput and lowering cost. It still appears bead‑based on unpatterned wafers, which suggests there’s further density headroom if they optimize wafer/flowcell design.
  3. The bigger risk for Ultima is commercial: they need to find enough customers to absorb the massive throughput and drive the hyper‑elastic growth required for the business to survive. Capacity and performance may be strong, but market adoption is the key bottleneck.

DNA And Protein Sequencing Companies

ASeq Newsletter • 58 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Protein sequencing is becoming a growing startup space, with many companies now working to make protein readouts practical.
  2. Two main technical routes dominate—optical methods and nanopore-based sequencing—while a smaller set of firms pursue other novel approaches, and multiple companies are active in each category.
  3. An updated directory of DNA sequencing companies is maintained, and contributors are invited to share additional firms to keep the list current.

Why Are We So Excited About Roche?

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Roche’s new Axelios single-molecule sequencer appears to be a real engineering breakthrough that can match or beat Illumina on key metrics like read length, speed, throughput, and accuracy.
  2. Because Roche is large, well-funded, and running global pilots, it can aggressively compete on price and scale, potentially grabbing significant market share if reuse and pricing work out.
  3. Significant uncertainty remains due to Roche’s mixed history, pricing and purchasing-cycle risks, and execution challenges, so excellent technology doesn’t guarantee immediate market disruption.

P2 Solo Alternatives (But Probably Not For You)

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. Several companies now offer compact, high‑throughput nanopore sequencers (Qitan Q‑P2, MGI CycloneSeq/G100‑ER, PolySeq X2, Meilitech), but most models are currently sold mainly in China or Russia and are hard to obtain elsewhere.
  2. MGI's CycloneSeq is the most likely near‑term global alternative, yet it faces legal/IP disputes, possible sales restrictions and tariffs, unclear pricing, and reports of lower data quality compared with established platforms.
  3. The growing number of competitors shows nanopore know‑how isn't exclusive to one company, so competing platforms will probably improve and become more widely available over time.

Epstein Unfortunateness. HYP-FREE - A Hypothesis Free Testing Initiative

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. Build sample-to-answer DNA and protein sequencers for hypothesis-free diagnostics so clinics can detect known and novel pathogens or biomarkers without guessing, ideally at qPCR-like cost.
  2. Japan is well positioned to lead this effort because it has strong manufacturing and technical capabilities but currently lacks domestic DNA or protein sequencing platform companies, creating a strategic market opportunity.
  3. Use an SBIR-style, commercialization-first program to fund and spin out startups, prioritize simplified sample prep and advanced sequencing (long reads, protein), and engage investors early to scale devices for global clinical use.

Year In Review: Sequencing

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 30 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. Roche unexpectedly brought a high‑throughput nanopore sequencer that looks competitive with Illumina on throughput, quality, and cost, implying single‑molecule sequencing could reshape the market.
  2. Oxford Nanopore faces leadership change and financial pressure after massive investment, and growing competition (including Chinese clones and Roche) threatens its hard‑won nanopore lead.
  3. Illumina remains the largest player but is showing flat revenue and shifting toward clinical markets, while PacBio—despite leading on long‑read quality—struggles with limited adoption and a small market.

Studio Notes: Gloaming

SJF • 137 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🎶 Music Instrumentation
  1. The new track 'Gloaming' showcases a change in composing style since 'Meditations.'
  2. Attention to frequencies and layering helped improve the sound quality of the music.
  3. Blending electronic and orchestral instruments adds an organic feel to the music.

ANOTHER Nanopore Company! (Meilitech)

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. Meilitech has introduced the MerrySeq nanopore platform with modest claimed performance (around 95% accuracy) and small device pore counts (1–96), positioning it differently from bigger competitors.
  2. The platform emphasizes reusability and openness: chips are advertised as reusable 5–10 times with dry/wet separation, and the system offers multiple pore protein options plus raw-trace output for user tinkering.
  3. The product looks less mature than other offerings but could be attractive as a low‑cost, hackable research tool; it also sells patch‑clamp rigs and standard data outputs, though real-world availability and performance are unclear.

Nautilus Early Access

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Nautilus has been pushing an early-access program and that push seems to have increased market interest by showing the platform can support early-access projects.
  2. A recent scientific demo focused on Tau proteoforms (about 768), which is a useful small-scale result but doesn’t demonstrate the claimed ability to interrogate billions of wells or many different proteins.
  3. Because the demo was small, it’s unclear how well the high-density patterning and machine-learning pattern matching perform at scale, so fuller multi-protein or high-well-count demonstrations are needed.

ASeq, 200 Posts in 2025. Subscription Discounts.

ASeq Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Two hundred posts were published in 2025 and there’s an archive of over 500 posts available behind a subscription; access is $20 per month.
  2. Two limited-time annual discounts are being offered: 25% off standard annual subscriptions and 50% off annual subscriptions for educational users.
  3. The newsletter delivers focused coverage of DNA sequencing, life-science tools, diagnostics, and industry news, and relies on subscription revenue to sustain a niche audience with relatively low conversion rates.

The CycloneSeq 40K Pores? 400Gb/Run?

ASeq Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. BGI’s CycloneSeq claims to use novel motor and pore proteins found in extreme ocean environments as the core components for its nanopore sequencing chemistry.
  2. The device reportedly uses a spider-web-inspired, nano-imprinted micro-well chip design to achieve ultra-low electrical noise and stable membrane embedding, enabling very long sequencing runs (up to about 107 hours).
  3. Slides and coverage suggest high throughput — on the order of tens of thousands of pores and around hundreds of gigabases per run (e.g., ~40K pores and ~400 Gb/run) — implying significant per-run data yield if accurate.

The Day My Project Went to Space

The Palindrome • 2 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🔬 Science Instrumentation
  1. Space experiments demand massive behind-the-scenes work: detailed proposals, strict approvals, extensive documentation, and coordination with agencies.
  2. Consumer mobile IMUs can be used in microgravity but pose real challenges—orientation tracking, gravity removal, sensor bias, and noise make trajectory reconstruction hard and require careful calibration and advanced integration methods.
  3. Leading a flight experiment often means becoming a full‑stack engineer: build a simple, robust flight-ready app, pass platform and agency reviews, run thorough tests, and use quick prototypes or ML demos to validate and showcase the work.

PacBio Acquires Apton!

ASeq Newsletter • 58 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. PacBio is acquiring Apton BioSystems for approximately $110M to enhance their sequencing technology.
  2. The acquisition of Apton seems strategic for PacBio to develop a competitive high-throughput sequencing instrument.
  3. PacBio's new instrument lineup includes a range of sequencers from mid-range short reads to high-throughput long reads.

The PacBio Benchtop - The Vega

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. The new PacBio Vega is a benchtop DNA sequencer that provides 60Gb of data in just 24 hours and costs $169,000. There's also a lower cost option for labs that need less capacity.
  2. When compared to Oxford Nanopore's PromethION, the Vega appears to deliver better accuracy and more consistent results, making it a suitable choice for smaller labs needing reliable output.
  3. The launch of the Vega could help PacBio increase revenue and broaden its market presence, as it appeals to labs that want access to high-quality sequencing without breaking the bank.

Product Management Skills - Analytics and Instrumentation

Joseph Gefroh • 0 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
💼 Business Instrumentation
  1. Product analytics and instrumentation are crucial for Product Managers to make effective decisions and understand user behavior.
  2. Product Managers should have a strong grasp of product analytics, identifying what to instrument, and performing basic analysis themselves.
  3. Knowing who is using the product, what actions they are taking, and the context of their actions is essential for effective product analysis.

Izon

ASeq Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 26 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Instrumentation
  1. Izon has a unique machine for measuring particle sizes that goes beyond just measuring current, which provides more detailed information.
  2. The company can change the size of tiny openings in their device, allowing them to analyze particles that are much smaller than what other machines can handle.
  3. Despite having been around for a while and seeing some funding during COVID, Izon hasn't yet revealed major breakthroughs, but their technology has the potential for more exciting uses in the future.