On a Small Panel the Bait Line Can Exceed the Sequencer Line
Targeted-capture kit cost versus sequencing run cost is a split between two invoice lines, not a cheaper panel slogan. Hybrid baits, buffers, and hands-on enrichment are one payable object. The flow-cell share that reads the captured library is another. Prefer the quote that lists both lines and says what happens if enrichment fails. Reject a per-sample card that treats “panel sequencing” as one SKU. The NGS cost overview still owns the full recipe. Whole genome versus targeted sequencing still owns fit by breadth and depth. Pooling and failed-pool units still own how barcodes edit the run line. This page only separates bait from sequencer. Zettalab does not sell capture kits or lanes and has no official NGS price.
On a Small Panel the Bait Line Can Exceed the Sequencer Line
The search is targeted capture kit cost versus sequencing cost. A vendor comparison of hybrid capture versus amplicon is honest about one operational fact even while it sells amplicons: probe synthesis, enrichment reagents, and extra wash steps are their own bill. That fact does not become a Zetta rate. It becomes a line you must see. The same page notes that larger panels need more probes and often more depth to cover every bait. Small custom panels invert the usual WGS picture: the kit plus labor can dwarf the sample’s share of a pooled lane. After those two objects are named, a construct or interval list in ZettaGene can stay attached to the sample sheet. The workspace does not price baits.
Two Invoice Objects, Four Labels
Four labels decide which line is allowed to dominate. They are not a 2026 panel rank.
| Check | What to ask | Fail signal |
|---|---|---|
| Bait / kit object | Which panel version, how many probes, and whether the kit is sold per reaction or per sample? | A card that says “targeted NGS” and never names the bait SKU. |
| Sequencer object | Which kit output, read length, and unique-read or fold-depth target after off-target waste? | A run-only number that assumes the library is already captured. |
| Who scales | Does the kit scale with sample count while chemistry scales with gigabases? | Copying a WGS per-gigabase rate onto a 50-gene panel. |
| Fail / rework | Who pays if enrichment QC fails or off-target waste forces a top-up? | Silence on repeats; the cheap run line is unfinished. |
Weight the bait object first when the cohort is small or the panel is custom. Weight the sequencer object first when the target is large and depth is the expensive meter. Weight scale when someone wants to “just add samples.” Weight rework when the panel is new. Do not invent a crossover sample count. Public menus go stale, and this page does not publish one.
Three Quote Postures, Same Objects
The options are how the two objects appear on a slip, not a podium of panel brands.
| Dimension | Kit-plus-run bundled card | Kit-only then run-only | Run-only assuming capture is done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bait / kit object | Inside the card if the quote names the panel version | A separate PO; easy to see | Missing; the card is incomplete |
| Sequencer object | Inside the card if unique reads or fold depth are stated | A second PO after enrichment QC | Present, but it is not the full project |
| Who scales | Hidden unless the provider splits the two lines on request | Visible: kit per sample, run per pool | Looks cheap because the kit was paid elsewhere |
| Fail / rework | Must say whether failed enrichment replays the whole card | Failed kit does not automatically replay the lane | Failed capture is someone else’s problem until it is not |
| When it fits | A core that already runs that panel every week | A custom panel or a first-time capture | Only when libraries already exist and pass QC |
Prefer a split kit-then-run slip when the panel is custom or the cohort is small enough that bait can exceed chemistry. Prefer a bundle only when the provider will still show both objects and the fail rule. Prefer a run-only slip only when captured libraries already exist. Amplicon panels are a different enrichment object; do not finish that choice here. RNA-seq versus DNA-seq recipe comparison stays on the overview page. This page does not reopen it.
Keep the Interval List With the Paid Capture
Write the bait SKU and the sequencer target as two sentences before you compare cards. ZettaGene can hold the interval list or construct context next to the sample sheet. ZettaNote can hold the enrichment QC. Neither product sells baits, and neither has an official sequencing rate. If the bait line is still unnamed, the lower sequencing number is not a bargain. It is a partial invoice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a capture kit cost more than the sequencing run?
Yes on a small or custom panel. Kit plus labor can dwarf one sample’s share of a pooled lane. Ask for both lines. This page does not publish a crossover count.
Is a targeted panel quote the same as a sequencing quote?
No. The bait or kit object is payable even when the run looks cheap. A run-only card assumes capture already happened.
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