Sanger Reaction Quotes: Which Lines Are Actually Included
Line items inside a Sanger sequencing reaction quote are process lines, not a cheaper sequencer. Ask whether the number buys cycle-sequencing chemistry, cleanup, and capillary electrophoresis for one template plus one primer — or only the capillary run of reactions you already performed. University core versus commercial channel is a different page. So is Sanger versus NGS cost. Zettalab does not sell Sanger reactions and has no official sequencer price.
Ask Which Lines Sit Inside One Reaction Price
The search is what is included in a sanger sequencing reaction quote. The subject is the billed unit. Prefer the quote that names chemistry, cleanup, and CE in one sentence. Treat a ready-to-run plate as a different unit. Do not decide by which sticker is smaller. A CE-only plate can look cheap beside a full reaction and still be the wrong comparison.
The University of Chicago Sanger core fee page, rates effective July 1, 2026, is a dated public example — not a national official menu. Its standard service "consists of cycle sequencing (BDv3.1) reactions, sephadex-column clean-up, and capillary electrophoresis run." One reaction is "1 single sample and 1 single sequencing primer." That sentence is the inclusion claim. The dollars on the same table are examples for that core's internal and external tiers. They are not a reason to call any channel cheaper.
Three Quote Units, Same Inclusion Rows
Force every quote onto the same rows. Full reaction, premixed or customer-prepped, and ready-to-run / CE-only are units, not brands.
| Dimension | Full reaction quote | Premixed / customer-prepped | Ready-to-run / CE-only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle sequencing chemistry | Included on the UChicago standard service (BDv3.1) | Usually included after the premix arrives (GENEWIZ-class types) | Not included — you already ran the chemistry |
| Cleanup | Sephadex-column cleanup included on that card | Typically vendor-side; confirm in writing | Not included — you cleaned up before submission |
| Capillary electrophoresis | Included in the standard service | Included in the service type | This is the billed work; often a plate unit |
| Who supplies the primer | One primer per reaction; core list or user-supplied | Already mixed, or a universal primer on another type | Already consumed in your reaction |
| When it fits | You want the facility to run the reaction | You already normalized template and primer in one tube | You already own chemistry and only need the instrument |
| What it does not buy | Primer synthesis or tube transfer | Your prep labor | A full reaction |
MD Anderson's ATGC Sanger page describes a full-service posture: the facility quantifies samples, performs sequencing reactions, cleanup, and CE, then returns text files and chromatograms. Free rerun is limited to instrument or facility fault. That is still a full-reaction story. It is not a CE-only plate. GENEWIZ from Azenta splits Pre-Mixed, Pre-Defined, and Custom. Its sample-preparation page says a GENEWIZ universal primer can be added at no charge on the appropriate type. That is a primer-on-hand inclusion, not primer synthesis. The commercial list dollar is often login-gated. Do not invent one.
UChicago ready-to-run is the clean counter-example. The service "consists of capillary electrophoresis run." The user "completes cycle sequencing rxns (BDv3.1 only) and clean up prior to submission." It is billed per 96-well plate, not per reaction. Comparing that plate sticker to a per-reaction full-service number is a unit error.
Extras That Sit Beside the Reaction Sticker
Even a full-reaction card leaves lines outside the number. On the same UChicago table, tube transfer is a per-reaction surcharge when samples arrive in the wrong tube. Non-core-supplied primer addition is a surcharge when staff add a user primer. A dGTP supplement is a separate reaction line. PCR cleanup is listed and marked as not currently offered. Those sentences matter more than the dollars. They tell you what the reaction assumes you already did.
Primer synthesis is the extra this page will not own. The common unit assumes a primer is already in hand — core-supplied from a list, user-supplied in a tube, or mixed into a premix. Paying someone to make that oligo is a different invoice line and a later sibling page. Plasmid versus PCR template pricing is also a different job. Template class changes how you prepare the sample. It does not redefine whether cleanup sits inside the reaction.
Channel, Template, and Primer Synthesis Live Elsewhere
Ask the inclusion rows first. Then, if you still need to compare a campus recharge to a commercial service type, open the channel page. If you still need method cost or turnaround versus NGS, open that page. After the quote is understood, a map such as ZettaGene can name the confirmed clone. Zettalab does not sell Sanger reactions. There is no official Zetta sequencer price to put beside a core card. If a quote cannot say whether chemistry, cleanup, and CE are inside the number, you do not have a reaction price. You have a teaser.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does one Sanger reaction price usually include primer synthesis?
Usually no. The common unit is one template plus one primer already in hand. Synthesis of that oligo is a different invoice line and a sibling page.
Is ready-to-run sequencing the same unit as a Sanger reaction?
No. Ready-to-run buys the capillary run after you already performed chemistry and cleanup. It is a plate unit, not a reaction unit.
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