School of Biotechnology · Molecular biology
From Sample to Sequence: NGS Library Preparation & Data QC
Sequencing data are only as good as the libraries they come from. This hybrid course connects the bench and the computer: you prepare libraries by hand and then examine the data quality that follows from your choices.
Course overview
From Sample to Sequence covers input-material QC, fragmentation, end repair and adapter ligation, indexing and amplification, and library quantification and sizing, with the pitfalls that lead to failed runs.
The data half examines sequencing output from libraries like yours: FastQC and MultiQC reports, adapter content, duplication and insert sizes, so you can see how bench decisions show up in the data.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Assess input DNA and RNA quality for sequencing
- Prepare indexed sequencing libraries
- Quantify and size libraries and pool them for a run
- Interpret sequencing QC reports
- Link library-preparation choices to data-quality outcomes
Skills you will practise
Eligibility and prerequisites
Who can apply
- Students and graduates of B.Sc., M.Sc., B.Tech., M.Tech., B.Pharm., M.Pharm. or a PhD programme in biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, life sciences, pharmacy or allied health sciences
- Laboratory staff, research assistants and faculty who want structured bench training
- Participants must be 18 or older and follow the laboratory safety induction on day one
Prerequisites
- Molecular Biology Techniques or equivalent
- Basic familiarity with sequencing concepts
Best suited to
- Researchers planning sequencing projects
- Core-facility and genomics-laboratory staff
- Advanced students bridging wet and dry genomics
Module-wise syllabus
5 modules, each with a bench practical performed by every participant.
Topics
- Platforms and read types
- Input quantity and integrity
- Sample sheets
Topics
- Fragmentation
- End repair and adapter ligation
- Size selection
Topics
- Index design and pooling
- Fluorometric quantification
- Fragment-size analysis
Topics
- FastQC and MultiQC
- Adapters and duplication
- Insert-size distributions
Topics
- Low yield and adapter dimers
- Over-amplification
- Contamination
Practical sessions and projects
Practical assessment
Practical assessment
Prepare and QC a library, then interpret matching sequencing QC data and explain the link between your bench choices and the data.
Assessed on technique, accuracy, safety and the laboratory record. A pass is required for the certificate.
- Planning and input QC
Assess input samples for integrity and quantity and plan a library batch.
- Library construction
Prepare libraries from genomic DNA following a commercial workflow.
- Indexing and QC
Quantify and size your libraries and calculate pooling volumes.
- Reading the data
Analyse QC reports from libraries prepared with different choices.
- Troubleshooting across the bench–data boundary
Diagnose failed libraries from their QC data and propose fixes.
Instruments, techniques and materials
Instruments and equipment
Techniques you will perform
- Input QC
- Library construction
- Bead-based clean-up and size selection
- Fluorometric quantification
- Pooling calculations
- Sequencing QC analysis
Materials
- Reference genomic DNA
- Commercial library-preparation kits
- Index adapters
Core reading
- Head SR et al. (2014). Library construction for next-generation sequencing: overviews and challenges. BioTechniques 56:61–77.
- Andrews S. FastQC documentation (Babraham Bioinformatics).
Duration, format and fees
- Next cohort
- Dates are sent with your admission offer
- Timetable
- Weekdays, 9:30 to 16:30, at our laboratory
- Payment
- Secure online payment link with your admission offer (UPI, cards, net banking). Instalments on request for fees above ₹15,000.
- Refunds
- See the refund and cancellation policy.
Instructor
The instructor for each cohort is named in your admission offer and on this page when the cohort is announced. Vedicgen instructors are selected for hands-on laboratory experience in the subject they teach, and every course is reviewed by a second subject expert.
Questions about who teaches a cohort? [email protected]
Certificate
Learners who complete the course and pass its practical assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion for From Sample to Sequence: NGS Library Preparation & Data QC, issued by Vivofold, stating the bench hours and techniques performed. Each certificate has a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check.
Apply for From Sample to Sequence: NGS Library Preparation & Data QC
Apply
Send the form below. It takes about five minutes.
Review
An adviser confirms your fit and format within two working days.
Offer
You receive dates, timetable and a secure payment link.
Onboard
Safety briefing, lab address and joining instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Day one starts with a safety induction covering personal protective equipment, safe handling of reagents and biological material, spill response and waste segregation. All practicals use non-pathogenic material (Risk Group 1 organisms, established cell lines or synthetic templates) and are supervised throughout.
All library-preparation kits, consumables, personal protective equipment, the lab manual, course datasets and the certificate. Sequencing of participants’ own libraries is not included; QC practicals use public data from comparable libraries.
Bench courses run in small groups so that every participant performs every practical personally, with an instructor-to-participant ratio that allows close supervision at the bench.
Yes. Learners who complete the course and pass its assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion, issued by Vivofold. Every certificate carries a unique ID and a QR code that anyone, including an employer or admissions office, can check on the certificate verification page.
Apply with the form on this page. Live and in-person cohorts run through the year; the dates, timetable and joining details of the next cohort are sent with your admission offer and listed on this page once announced. Self-paced enrolment opens as soon as your application is accepted.
Yes. No course runs longer than four weeks, and the length is customisable: choose the standard schedule, an intensive one- to two-week schedule, weekends only, or a custom timetable. Pick your preference on the application form; colleges and teams can book their own dates.
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