BOSTON — Volta Labs has launched a new automated DNA library preparation application for Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ Ligation Sequencing Kit V14, expanding the capabilities of its Callisto Sample Prep System for genomics laboratories.
The Boston-based company said the new Callisto Sample Preparation protocol was developed under Oxford Nanopore’s Compatible Products Programme. The workflow allows labs to run fully automated, ligation-based library preparation optimized for the PromethION sequencing platform.
Volta Labs said benchmarking studies and an independent clinical evaluation at University Medical Center Utrecht showed that Callisto-prepared libraries generated up to 120 gigabases of output on a single PromethION flow cell. The company said the workflow also delivered diagnostic-grade variant accuracy, including 99.66% single nucleotide variant recall.
The University Medical Center Utrecht evaluation, presented at AGBT 2026, found that Callisto’s integrated high molecular weight DNA extraction and ligation-based library preparation could support routine whole genome sequencing in workflows aligned with ISO 15189 standards.
“As we evaluate whole genome sequencing for routine clinical diagnostics, having a robust, automated workflow is essential. Callisto’s HMW DNA extraction and library preparation have given us the consistency and throughput we need to move toward ISO 15189 accreditation for Oxford Nanopore-based sequencing, while delivering variant calling accuracy comparable to our established short-read pipelines,” said Bert van der Zwaag of the Department of Genetics at University Medical Center Utrecht.
Volta Labs makes the Callisto Sample Prep System, which is designed to automate sample preparation for genomics applications. The company said the new application is intended to help laboratories improve consistency and throughput as they adopt long-read sequencing for research and clinical use.
“The results achieved with libraries prepared with the Callisto™ Sample Prep System demonstrate the performance our platform can deliver when paired with high-quality sample preparation for whole genome sequencing applications. We are excited to welcome Volta Labs into our Compatible Products programme,” said Thomas Bray, Vice President, Corporate Business Development at Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
