iconPCR · AutoNorm · Per-well control
N6 Tec manufactures a thermocycler that controls amplification in each well independently while the reaction is running. AutoNorm technology replaces a fixed number of cycles, reduces chimeras caused by over-amplification and eliminates the separate quantification and normalisation step. It works with standard NGS library preparation kits, so you are not tied to a single supplier.
N6 Tec is a US biotechnology company that develops instruments for NGS library preparation. Its core technology is iconPCR, a thermocycler with the AutoNorm system. AutoNorm monitors amplification in each well individually and stops the reaction once the sample reaches its target concentration. This removes the need for a fixed number of cycles across the whole plate.
In practice, this means fewer chimeras, more uniform output across samples and higher success rates with low-input and degraded material such as FFPE and cfDNA. Quantification and normalisation take place directly in the thermocycler. Applications are broad: whole-genome and exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, single-cell methods, 16S metagenomics, targeted oncology panels and the development of new assays.
A short video from N6 explains how real-time, per-well amplification control changes the library preparation workflow.
A conventional thermocycler runs every well through the same number of cycles. AutoNorm reverses this: each well has its own detector and its own end point. The reaction stops as soon as the sample is ready.
Each sample receives as many cycles as its starting concentration requires. Higher-input samples stop earlier, while low-input samples run longer. All finish at a comparable concentration, and there are no plate-to-plate differences.
Because the instrument measures continuously, samples come out already normalised. Manual quantification on a Qubit or TapeStation, dilution and a second measurement are no longer needed. A single reaction yields a library ready for pooling.
The reaction is stopped before it reaches the plateau phase. This reduces chimeras from over-amplification, duplication artefacts and the bias that would otherwise distort variant calling and expression data. Libraries are more consistent across runs, regardless of who prepared them.
FFPE, cfDNA and single-cell material need more cycles than standard inputs. AutoNorm recognises this automatically, so there is no need to optimise the cycling profile separately for each sample type.
Amplification of 16S rRNA regions with uniform depth across samples, without the plate-to-plate differences that otherwise distort diversity results. It also works for full-length 16S on PacBio, as validated in a USDA publication.
FFPE, cfDNA and highly degraded ancient DNA: material that standard PCR protocols sometimes struggle with. AutoNorm increases run success rates and reduces the number of repeats.
Library preparation with normalisation in every well. Finished libraries go straight into the pool without a separate qPCR measurement.
Uniform amplification preserves the relative proportions of transcripts. This means less bias in expression profiles and in differential expression analysis. It also works with small RNA libraries.
Low inputs from individual cells often need more cycles. AutoNorm handles this automatically, without manual optimisation for each cell population.
Validation of new index sets, primers and complete assays. Real-time data show how the chemistry performs, well by well.
Whole-genome sequencing, RNA sequencing, metagenomics, targeted oncology panels, population genomics
Single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, cfDNA and minimal residual disease, rare diseases, assay development
We can demonstrate the instrument live, go through the savings compared with your current workflow and arrange an evaluation on your own samples. The consultation is non-binding and available in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
