# Announcements ## What's New **Date:** April 2026 *** The latest releases introduce new updates to sequencing instrument integration support, expanded sequencing capabilities, and workflow usability improvements. It also resolves several defects that affected metrics reporting and workflow automation. *** ## NovaSeq X Series ### Unified Cloud and On-Premises Workflow The NovaSeq X Series workflows for Cloud-hosted and On-Premises deployments have been **consolidated into a single unified workflow**. This simplifies configuration management and ensures consistent behavior across deployment types. *** ### Pool of Pools Support Clarity LIMS now supports **pool of pools** workflows for NovaSeq X Series runs. Customers who perform pooling at the library preparation stage (prior to the bulk pooling step) can now manage and route those pre-pooled samples directly within Clarity LIMS without manual workarounds. A new **Skip Pooling** option is available in the Assign ACT step to route samples that have already been pooled during library prep directly to the Dilute and Denature step. *** ### Sample Project Support Customers can now assign a **Sample Project** value to individual samples within Clarity LIMS. When Sample Project is specified, it is included in the generated sample sheet to enable BCL Convert to separate FASTQ output files into project-specific subdirectories. *** ### Per-Lane Sequencing Metrics Clarity LIMS now parses and displays **per-lane sequencing run metrics** for NovaSeq X Series instruments upon run completion. Previously, only per-run (aggregate) metrics were available. *** ### No Analysis mode Clarity LIMS supports creating a planned sequencing run with no analysis. The Clarity workflow will only track sequencing run status and primary metrics and analysis step is skipped. *** ### 1.5B Flowcell Supports 600-Cycle Kit The NovaSeq X Series 1.5B flowcell now supports the **600-cycle sequencing kit** in Clarity LIMS. The cycle preset options have been expanded accordingly. * **System software v1.4 or newer is required for the 2 × 300 1.5B flow cell.** *** ### New 5B Flowcell Support Clarity LIMS now supports the new **5B flowcell** for NovaSeq X Series instruments. The 5B flowcell supports 100, 200, and 300-cycle kits and follows the same dilution and denature protocol as the 10B flowcell. * **System software v1.4 or newer is required for the 5B flow cell.** *** ### NextSeq 1000/2000 — Occupancy Metric Replaces Density Metric The sequencing run metrics displayed in Clarity LIMS for NextSeq 1000/2000 instruments have been updated to show **Occupancy (%)** in place of the Density metric. Occupancy is a more relevant and actionable metric for NextSeq 1000/2000 users when evaluating run quality. *** ## Additional Resources * [IPP v2.12 Release Notes](https://help.claritylims.illumina.com/illumina-preset-protocols/ipp-v2.12/ipp-v2.12.0-release-notes) * [NovaSeq X Series Integration v1.4.0 Release Notes](https://help.claritylims.illumina.com/instruments-and-integrations/novaseq-x-series/novaseqx/novaseqx-v1.4.0-release-notes) * [NovaSeq X Series On-Prem Integration v1.1.0 Release Notes](https://help.claritylims.illumina.com/instruments-and-integrations/novaseq-x-series/novaseqx-onprem/novaseqx-onprem-v1.1.0-release-notes) * [NextSeq 1000/2000 Integration v2.6.0 Release Notes](https://help.claritylims.illumina.com/instruments-and-integrations/nextseq1k2k/nextseq1k2k-v2.6.0/nextseq1k2k-v2.6.0-release-notes) * [NextSeq 1000/2000 On-Prem Integration v1.1.0 Release Notes](https://help.claritylims.illumina.com/instruments-and-integrations/nextseq1k2k-onprem/nextseq1k2k-onprem-v1.1.0/nextseq1k2k-onprem-v1.1.0-release-notes) *** ## Clarity LIMS Clarity LIMS software is a powerful laboratory information management system (LIMS) designed to optimize genomics sample and workflow management. It enables labs to track samples, streamline complex tasks, generate sample sheets, and identify poor-quality samples before they reach the sequencing system. * Saves time and minimizes errors in sample handling through an automated workflow. * Out-of-the box integration with Illumina instruments. Accelerate adoption of Illumina NGS and array protocols with preconfigured workflows that require no coding experience. * Designed with compliance features including data entry validation, workflow enforcement, audit trails, electronic signatures and role-based permissions. * Easily collect and share data in real-time with external clients via LabLink. Collaborate on sample submission, status, and results delivery in a single, secure environment. * Scales with laboratory needs, accommodating third-party instruments and software through a robust RESTful Application Programming Interface (API). * Flexible deployment options with cloud and local implementations supported. {% embed url="" %} {% embed url="" %} ## Latest Releases * [Clarity LIMS v6.3.4 Release Notes](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/clarity-lims-v6.3-and-lablink-v2.5/readme/release-notes-clarity-lims-v6.3.4) * [Clarity LIMS Product Analytics v1.5.0 Release Notes](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/instruments-and-integrations/upa/clarity-lims-product-analytics-v1.5.0/upa-v1.5.0-release-notes) * [Illumina Run Manager Integration v1.1.0 Release Notes](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/instruments-and-integrations/irm/illumina-run-manager-v1.1.0/irm-v1.1.0-release-notes) * [IPP v2.11 Release Notes](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/illumina-preset-protocols/ipp-v2.11/ipp-v2.11.0-release-notes) * [MiSeq i100 Series Integration v1.1.0 Release Notes](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/instruments-and-integrations/miseq-i100/miseqi100/miseqi100-v1.1.0/miseqi100-v1.1.0-release-notes) * [MiSeq i100 Series On-Prem Integration v1.1.0 Release Notes](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/instruments-and-integrations/miseq-i100/miseqi100-onprem/miseqi100-onprem-v1.1.0/miseqi100-onprem-v1.1.0-release-notes) ## Security Bulletin * [Investigation of OpenSSH vulnerability with Clarity LIMS](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/announcements/announcement/security-bulletin/investigation-of-openssh-vulnerability-with-clarity-lims) ## Customer Notifications * [17 July 2025 Clarity LIMS Hosted Instance Interruption - Resolved](https://help.connected.illumina.com/clarity-lims/announcements/announcement/customer-notifications/2025-july-17-clarity-lims-hosted-instance-interruption-resolved)