Library preparation converts these raw DNA fragments into a form that can be read by sequencing machines.

This involves attaching specific chemical sequences to the ends of the DNA fragments, which serve as adapters that allow the sequencing machine’s chemistry to work with them.

The resulting library is a collection of modified DNA fragments, each tagged and ready for sequencing.

Sequencing itself is performed on instruments that read the sequence of bases in each fragment by detecting the incorporation of fluorescently labeled nucleotides.

Modern sequencing instruments can process billions of reads in a single run, generating enormous datasets that are then processed computationally.