Strand Life Sciences is a precision medicine company that operates across clinical genomics, oncology, and rare disease diagnostics. With a strong focus on high-quality genomic interpretation, Strand operates accredited labs, develops advanced bioinformatics pipelines, and delivers end-to-end diagnostic workflows.

While the company initially focused on computational biology and genomic data interpretation, its wet lab operations began in 2013. At that time, Strand proactively adopted automated nucleic acid extraction systems to support its burgeoning diagnostic volumes. Over the past decade, Strand has steadily scaled its operations, achieving a remarkable increase in both volumes and variety of genetic tests while maintaining stringent quality standards. This sustained growth was driven by a continuous commitment to expanding test offerings—from exome sequencing to reproductive sub-panels and oncology diagnostics—which, in turn, led to increased sample complexity, demand for shorter turnaround times, and a critical focus on cost-per-test.

Back then, volumes were manageable. But as the demand for precision medicine rose, the pressure did too. Test menus diversified. Turnaround times had to shorten. And cost per test became a defining factor,

the team explains.

Optimizing for current demands

As Strand's growth continued and its test menu diversified, the lab's need for even more flexible and efficient automation became clear. Handling a wide mix of sample types and extraction protocols required a solution that wasn't locked into a single protocol or batch size. Bottlenecks, particularly in sample preparation, became a significant concern.

When you’re running a variety of tests, your tools need to adapt dynamically. You can’t afford bottlenecks, especially when quality and clinical compliance are non-negotiable.

the team explains.

As demand surged, Strand began searching for automation that could adapt, something modular and intuitive. 

When we first shared the concept of Manta with Mr. Arun, his response was instant:

I call dibs on that.

Once Manta was ready, a live demo in Strand’s lab running blood, saliva, and tissue samples from their own pipeline confirmed its compatibility and set the stage for its integration into routine workflows in April 2024. Since then, Manta has become a core part of Strand’s daily operations, directly addressing the complexities of their current high-volume environment. 

Fig. 1: Manta in the Strand Life Sciences' lab

Tangible improvements with Manta

Since integrating Manta, Strand's lab has diligently gathered and reviewed performance data across large cohorts of clinical samples.

Across a dataset of 100 whole blood samples, Manta consistently delivered high DNA yields. The yield variance remained within acceptable QC thresholds, with an average of 3 - 8 µg of DNA demonstrating robust recovery across a range of input concentrations and sample storage conditions.

Fig. 2: DNA yield across 100 whole blood samples

To assess purity, the team analyzed 128 samples across different matrices, including blood, saliva, and tissue. The A260/280 ratios ranged from 1.8 to 2.0, reflecting minimal protein contamination and confirming suitability for downstream applications such as PCR, library preparation, and hybridization capture.

Fig. 3: A260/280 purity ratios across 128 samples

TapeStation electropherograms generated from post-library prep revealed sharp, high-integrity peaks with minimal baseline noise or smearing, even in samples with initially degraded input. Agilent TapeStation confirms the pre-capture QC peak at 350 bp. 

Fig. 4: Representative TapeStation electropherogram curves

This consistency in extraction performance enabled the lab to rethink how they handled workflow bottlenecks, particularly around batching. Sample pooling was a turning point for Strand. With Manta’s ability to process variable batch sizes, Strand could begin running samples as they arrived, without waiting for large batches to accumulate. This shift was critical for improving turnaround times while maintaining throughput and quality.

Most automation works only if you batch samples. But batching delays reporting,” the team notes. “What we loved about Manta was the flexibility. One sample, ten, twenty, it didn’t matter. We weren’t at the mercy of the machine.

That flexibility was crucial, not just for handling variable sample volumes, but also for physical space constraints. While Strand has since moved to a larger facility, their previous lab was tightly packed, and bulky machines simply weren’t an option.

I love how compact Manta is. We sometimes even put it inside the biosafety cabinet for sensitive infectious disease workflows.

One of the biggest wins since Manta's integration has been the reduction in sample preparation time. Previously, this critical step took between 4-5 hours. With Manta, this has been nearly halved to 2–2.5 hours. This efficiency, combined with reduced consumable waste, has contributed to cutting operating costs and increasing consistency across workflows.

In diagnostics, it’s not just about speed—it’s about knowing what to expect. Manta gave us reliability and repeatability for our critical sample preparation needs.

the team concludes.

Setting new standards

Today, Strand operates two Manta devices and is considering further expanding automation by integrating Beluga, Cambrian’s upcoming system for PCR preparation.

We’re excited to see what Beluga can do for us.

they share.

Manta is now a trusted part of their lab setup that they proudly showcase during lab visits, recommending it as a game-changer for optimizing and streamlining high-throughput molecular diagnostics. Because in a field where complexity is always rising, simplicity and adaptability are what truly scale.