Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial isolates is a powerful tool for advancing characterization of pathogens, as well as bolstering outbreak detection. As the repertoire of available equipment and reagents to achieve this goal expands or are replaced, it is imperative for laboratories to continuously compare current methods to alternate options. 

This webinar compares the extraction and library preparation protocols currently employed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to sequence enteric bacterial pathogens for the PulseNet surveillance laboratory network using the EZ1 Advanced XL and Illumina DNA Library Prep Kit, with extraction on the newly available EZ2 Connect platform and library preparation using the QIASeq FX DNA Prep Kit.

The results of these comparisons present the pros and cons to each extraction and library preparation option based on key quality metrics described in the methods. They also assess the compatibility of the alternative approaches described in this evaluation to the current protocol used at CDPHE for sequencing of PulseNet organisms.