The core SMART-Seq HT Kit (SS-HT) and the SMART-Seq HT PLUS Kit (SS-HT PLUS) are automation-friendly kits that use oligo(dT) priming to generate high-quality, full-length cDNA directly from 1–100 cells or 10 pg–1 ng of total RNA. In addition to the core cDNA synthesis kit, the SS-HT PLUS kit also includes a library preparation kit and single-use unique dual index (UDI) plates to generate Illumina-compatible sequencing libraries, making it a complete end-to-end solution.

The SS-HT cDNA synthesis kit has a streamlined protocol optimized to work downstream of FACS and reduces hands-on time compared to SMART-Seq v4 kits, owing to the introduction of a convenient combined reverse transcription and PCR amplification step. The core SMART (Switching Mechanism at 5" End of RNA Template) technology powering the cDNA synthesis provides full-length transcript coverage, making it a powerful tool for studying gene expression in single cells, including splice junctions and alternative splicing. Oligo(dT) priming is used to specifically amplify mRNA from either high-quality total RNA (RIN >8) or intact cells. LNA technology improves the efficiency of template switching, which increases the number of genes identified compared to other methods.

The SS-HT PLUS kit incorporates our patented library preparation chemistry, which uses enzymatic fragmentation and stem-loop adapters to construct high-quality, Illumina-compatible libraries from the cDNA synthesized with the core kit. This two-step workflow takes place in a single tube and can be completed in about two hours—no intermediate purification steps are necessary.

If you prefer a random priming approach that will allow you to work with degraded samples and also includes library preparation and indexing reagents, we recommend our SMART-Seq Stranded Kit.