Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
General

I have received the sequencing results, how can I process the payment?

Macrogen Europe will issue an invoice via email after data delivery. Invoices can be paid by credit card (only Visa/MasterCard) or bank transfer. EZ-Seq, Eco-Seq and prepayment invoices are issued within 1 to 3 business days after order placement.

I've placed several orders, can I receive only one invoice?

This depends on the type of service used. Please contact info@macrogen-europe.com for Sanger sequencing orders or ngs@macrogen-europe.com for NGS orders.

What are the bank account details of Macrogen Europe?

Bank transfer to the bank account of Macrogen Europe

Beneficiary: Macrogen Europe B.V.

IBAN: NL36 INGB 0008 8449 96

Bank name: ING bank

BIC: INGBNL2A

What are your payment terms?

Macrogen Europe will issue an invoice after data delivery and our payment terms are NET 30 days.

Can I change the billing information on an invoice I've received?

Please contact our sales department via info@macrogen-europe.com for Sanger sequencing invoices or ngs@macrogen-europe.com for NGS invoices.

Why is there 21% VAT added to my invoice?

Under EU law, we have to add VAT to our invoices as follows:

  • For customers in the Netherlands, 21% VAT will be added to all invoices.
  • For EU customers outside the Netherlands, 21% VAT will be only be added to invoices if you don’t have a valid VAT number.

How can I check whether my payment has been received?

If you want to confirm receipt of your payment, or if you have any inquiries/issues regarding a payment you made, please email ar.eu@macrogen-europe.com.

Are you GDPR compliant?

Yes, please read our Privacy policy for more information.

What are your T&Cs?

Our general T&Cs can be found here. Additional T&Cs for a particular project will be shown on the quotation. You can always ask your Macrogen Europe representative if you have any specific questions.

Can I work at Macrogen Europe?

The door of Macrogen Europe is always open. If you have a passion to join a global player in the field of genomics, please take a look at our Careers page – or send your CV to directly us. Also, many internship possibilities are available. Please contact us at recruit@macrogen-europe.com.

Frequently Asked Questions About
Sanger Sequencing

Introduction

What is EZ-Seq?

EZ-Seq is a DNA sequencing service developed by Macrogen Europe. It uses 2D barcode labels for simple and secure tracking of samples. It provides DNA sequence data with a high reliability and a fast turnaround time.

How does EZ-Seq work?

When you place an order, we ship the EZ-Seq labels to you via regular mail. All you need to do is to mix the template with sequencing primer you want to use and ship the samples to our laboratory with EZ-Seq labels on the samples.


By the time you make an order, we already have your email address so the EZ-Seq labels issued are automatially linked to your email address. The sequencing data from the samples with the labels will be sent straight to your email address. This means that you do not need to log in or fill in an order form every time you want to sequence a sample.

What are the differences between the four EZ-Seq services?

With our EZ-Seq service you can choose between tubes and 96-well plates, and between purification and purified template. The combinations give you four services. EZ-Seq purification service will go through PCR purification before sequencing.

Order Placement & Shipping

How to modify a barcode?

To modify a barcode, please go to Barcode modification under the Sanger Sequencing tab.

**This tab no need to be login. It is not possible to view other main user information.

Can I give my labels to my colleagues?

Yes, you can. But remember that whoever uses the labels, and wherever the samples with labels come from, the sequence data will be directed to the designated email address, so you will need to forward the results to your colleagues.

Can I change the recipient email address from what was given in the order?

Change of delivery email address is a change of final beneficiary, and it is similar to a change of contract, so it is our recommendation not to do this frequently. However, we are flexible in accommodating your needs so we can do that for you, but we will need to get written confirmation from both parties. Please contact us if you wish to proceed with this.

Is there any order sheet necessary?

No. You can order directly through our website, and there's no need for typing in or importing the individual reaction information.

Results

How to view previous Sanger sequencing orders?

To view your previous Sanger sequencing orders, please log in to your account here, go to [Results], click [Sanger Sequencing] and then [Previous Order].

How long does it take until I receive the results?

EZ-Seq is a 24-hour service. You'll normally get the results between 12 and 24 hours after the samples arrive in our lab. However, we guarantee 24 hours if there's no problem with the sample condition.

What kind of sequence results do I get?

We provide the following files.

AB1: Raw chromatogram file with quality score
SEQ: Sequence in plain text
PHD: Quality score file
PDF: AB1 files in PDF format for image processing or printing

They are compressed in a ZIP file and the download link is sent in the result email.

What's your maximum read length?

This depends on the sample condition, but in ideal condition we read about 1,050 bases – with Q20 or higher in more than 650 bases.

Payment

I have submitted a prepayment request via the ordering site, when can I expect the invoice?

We will process the request and send the invoice to you within 1 to 2 working days.

Is there a time limit on using my prepaid credits?

There is no time limit at the moment. If this policy changes we will update you.

I want to use a prepayment from a colleague’s Macrogen account, what should I do?

Our confidentiality policy does not allow us to share a user’s prepayment account without the permission of the account owner. Please ask your colleague to contact us by email and give the authorization.

Why isn’t my barcode invoice deducted from the prepayment?

Sanger sequencing prepayments are normally only used for non-barcode sequencing services. If you would like to use it for barcode invoices as well, please notify us.

Sample condition

I want to use one of the universal primers. Can I get this primer?

When you place your order, you can let us know your preferred primer. We will send this primer along with your labels.

Can EZ-Seq work on large-sized molecules like BACs or gDNA?

The success rate of Sanger sequencing depends on the number of molecules, not the amount of DNA – and with the same amount of DNA, the number of molecules will be variable depending on the size of the DNA. So at the same DNA amount, the success rate of large molecules like a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) or genomic DNA (gDNA) is lower than PCR products of plasmids. However, by increasing the amount of template DNA, we can match up the number of molecules to a certain degree.

What is the optimal concentration of DNA and primer?

In all cases, the total volume of template and primer is 5 µL + 5 µL to make a total volume of 10 µL. For EZ-Seq without purification, use a template concentration of 50~100 ng/µL and a primer concentration of 5 pmol/µL. For EZ-Seq with purification, use a PCR product concentration of 50 ng/µL and a primer concentration of 10 pmol/µL.

I'm in trouble!

I lost my labels.

Don’t worry. We keep a record of your label usage in our system. If you let us know your situation we will reissue the labels and send them to you. These labels will have the same serial number as your previous labels, so it's important to discard the old labels in case you find them later.

I didn’t get the results yet.

If there's an issue with the processing of your samples we normally contact you by email, so please check you email inbox and spam folder. If you haven't received any information from us, please contact info@macrogen-europe.com and state the tracking number if you have one so we can also check for issues with the shipment.

Miscellaneous

How can you make the sequencing so inexpensive?

As a company of scientists working for scientists, we are committed to keeping your research costs as low as possible. By our efficient use of high-throughput sequencers, high levels of automation and an experienced team, we can offer cost-effective sequencing services with no compromises on the quality of your data.

Frequently Asked Questions About
Next Generation Sequencing

Introduction

What kind of NGS technology do you provide?

On our NGS services page you can find information on all our services and a comparison table.

What is the overall workflow of an NGS project?

Please check the NGS workflow document on our Support page.

Order Placement & Shipping

How should I pack my samples?

Please check the packing guidelines on our Support page.

How can I ship my NGS samples to Macrogen?

Contact your Macrogen Europe representative for detailed shipping instructions and to get access to our online shipment system. For information on preparing and packing samples, see our Support section.

Sample Submission

How should I prepare my DNA samples?

All samples should be in clearly labeled microcentrifuge tubes or 96-well plates. Sample IDs should be written with a permanent marker and the IDs should be consistent with the order sheet. Please include a brief description of the extraction/purification protocol in the comments field of the sample order sheet.

DNA samples should be in TE buffer or diethyl pyrocarbonate-treated (DEPC) water with a minimum concentration of 50 ng/μL and a volume of 10 to 15 μL. To check the quantity of DNA required for your project, please check our sample QC criteria (DNA).

How should I prepare my RNA samples?

All samples should be in clearly labeled microcentrifuge tubes or 96-well plates. Sample IDs should be written with a permanent marker and the IDs should be consistent with the order sheet. Please include a brief description of the extraction/purification protocol in the comments field of the sample order sheet.

RNA samples should ideally be in diethyl pyrocarbonate-treated (DEPC) water. Ethanol precipitation is also possible but this option is not recommended for small quantities – please discuss this option with your Macrogen Europe representative. Alternatively, RNA stabilizing reagents or kits can be used for shipping at room temperature. Use of these reagents needs to be stated in the comments section of the order sheet and recovery materials should be sent along with your samples (if applicable). To check the quantity of RNA required for your project, please check our sample QC criteria (RNA).

Quality Checks

Which method does Macrogen use for DNA QC?

Macrogen quantifies the DNA in a samples by fluorescence-based quantification. We also determine purity by absorbance measurement at 260 and 280 nm; ratios of 1.8–2.0 are considered indicative of relatively pure DNA.

Which method does Macrogen use for RNA QC?

Macrogen quantifies RNA samples by fluorescence-based quantification. We also measure quality by determining the RNA integrity number (RIN) value using the Agilent Bioanalyzer.

Which method does Macrogen use for Illumina library QC?

To verify the size of final library fragments, we check the size distribution by running it on an Agilent Bioanalyzer using a DNA 1000 chip. In order to achieve the highest quality data on Illumina sequencing platforms, it is important to create optimal cluster densities across every lane of every flow cell. This requires accurate quantitation of DNA library templates. This is why we quantify prepared libraries using qPCR according to the Illumina qPCR quantification protocol.

Data Analysis Result

Can I see a sample of your bioinformatics analysis report?

Please contact your Macrogen Europe representative for an example report of your chosen application or Contact us here.

How can I check the integrity of my downloaded files?

You can use the MD5 checksum to verify the integrity of downloaded files. When you download your result files from the secure FTP links, do not decompress them straight away, but check the md5sum values of the files first and compare them with the provided md5sum in the report. If the values of md5sum are correct, this means that there is no forgery, modification or omission.