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Research and Innovation

Submission of samples

Guidelines for all projects

The quality and quantity of material submitted is critical for the success of the project. Please refer to the individual sample requirements for your specific project and ensure you send sufficient high-quality material.  

DNA sample submission

RNA sample submission

Normalise the concentrations of your DNA or RNA samples 

Samples submitted should be normalised to a specific concentration and volume depending on the method selected. If the concentration of a few samples is much lower than the majority, please contact us for advice. If samples are not normalised additional charges may be incurred. 

The University of Exeter Sequencing Facility cannot guarantee good results from samples that do not meet the requirements set out here. 

If 16 samples or fewer are submitted to the University of Exeter sequencing facility, the samples should be submitted in strip tubes or Eppendorf 1.5 ml Low DNA bind tubes (#0030108051) 

If more than 16 samples are submitted per project, samples should be submitted in a 96-well plate (Eppendorf twin.tec® PCR plate 96 LoBind, skirted (# 0030129512) and should be arranged down the plate in a column-wise fashion (sample 1 = well A1, sample 2 = B1, sample 3 = C1, etc.). Make sure that the plate or tubes are sealed properly to avoid cross contamination. 

We recommend that a maximum of 94 samples are included in each 96-well plate. This will then enable us to include positive and negative controls for each plate.  

Plate layout: 

Sample 1 

Sample 9 

Sample 17 

Sample 25 

Sample 33 

Sample 41 

Sample 49 

Sample 57 

Sample 65 

Sample 73 

Sample 81 

Sample 89 

Sample 2 

Sample 10 

Sample 18 

Sample 26 

Sample 34 

Sample 42 

Sample 50 

Sample 58 

Sample 66 

Sample 74 

Sample 82 

Sample 90 

Sample 3 

Sample 11 

Sample 19 

Sample 27 

Sample 35 

Sample 43 

Sample 51 

Sample 59 

Sample 67 

Sample 75 

Sample 83 

Sample 91 

Sample 4 

Sample 12 

Sample 20 

Sample 28 

Sample 36 

Sample 44 

Sample 52 

Sample 60 

Sample 68 

Sample 76 

Sample 84 

Sample 92 

Sample 5 

Sample 13 

Sample 21 

Sample 29 

Sample 37 

Sample 45 

Sample 53 

Sample 61 

Sample 69 

Sample 77 

Sample 85 

Sample 93 

Sample 6 

Sample 14 

Sample 22 

Sample 30 

Sample 38 

Sample 46 

Sample 54 

Sample 62 

Sample 70 

Sample 78 

Sample 86 

Sample 94 

Sample 7 

Sample 15 

Sample 23 

Sample 31 

Sample 39 

Sample 47 

Sample 55 

Sample 63 

Sample 71 

Sample 79 

Sample 87 

Empty 

Sample 8 

Sample 16 

Sample 24 

Sample 32 

Sample 40 

Sample 48 

Sample 56 

Sample 64 

Sample 72 

Sample 80 

Sample 88 

Empty 

All plates and tubes must be labelled with the project ID,  plate ID date and name of the project holder in two places; tubes should also be labelled with the project ID and sample ID using permanent marker or freezer labels.   

Submission checklist   

  1. Prepare your sample as described. If preparing your own libraries or submitting cDNA, bisulfite treated or ChIP’d DNA please contact us before commencing any work. 
  1. Log on to the Exeter Sequencing Service Portal to submit your project details in the LIMS. 
  1. Please ensure you print off the page that is generated once you have submitted your samples on the LIMS. This should be delivered along with your samples/library pool. 
  1. Deliver your sample and the printed page to University of Exeter Sequencing Facility (delivery address below) 

Shipping your sample 

  • DNA samples should be shipped in dry ice or, by prior consent, using frozen cold blocks in a cold box. 
  • DNA Material for long read sequencing should be shipped at 4°C. 
  • RNA should be sent on dry ice, ensuring there is enough dry ice to keep the samples frozen until delivery.   

Delivery address 

University of Exeter Sequencing Facility, 
LSI Stores, 
Living Systems Institute, 
Stocker Road, 
University of Exeter, 
EX4 4QD, UK. 

Tel: +44 (0)1392 726203 

Please note: 

  • Samples are not entered into the queue for sequencing until they have been received by us and quality-control checks reveal no issues. 
  • By submitting samples to us, you are agreeing to our Terms of service delivery. 
  • If the sequencing facility undertakes full quality checks, concentration and molecular weight determination to obtain RIN or DIN scores additional charges may be incurred.  

Further information 

If you have any queries that are not answered here, or would like to discuss your requirements further, please do not hesitate to contact us.