PromethION

PromethION offers real-time, long-read, direct DNA and RNA sequencing technology at a large scale.

Image: Courtesy of Oxford Nanopore Technologies.

PromethION delivers flexible, high-capacity, benchtop sequencing ideal for large-scale projects. Each flow cell can be run independently, providing on-demand, long-read sequencing to suit all experimental requirements.

On PromethION, the amount of data depends on several factors, but the main factor is the molecule length. For optimal flowcell yield the DNA must be sheared to 8-12 kb, and 50-100 Gb output can be expected.

If you opt for sequencing as long reads as possible (up to 1 Mb), the device will rarely produce more than 20 Gb of data.

If one can tolerate slightly lower throughput but want to prioritize longer reads, un-sheared DNA or a sample enriched for DNA molecules in the 75-150kb size range can be used to obtain long- to ultra-long reads, the latter being hundreds of kb up to approximately a million bases long.

For more information regarding the PromethION system, visit Oxford Nanopore Technologies official site.

Last Updated: 9th June 2026