Patent attributes
A method includes flowing an incorporation reagent through a reagent management system and a flow cell of an instrument. The flow cell having a first polynucleotide positioned therein. The incorporation reagent adding a first base onto a sequence of bases. The sequence of bases includes a second polynucleotide complementary to the first polynucleotide. An image of an identification signal emanating from the first base is captured after the first base has been added onto the second polynucleotide. A cleavage reagent is flowed through the reagent management system and flow cell to remove a first terminator from the first base in order to enable a subsequent base in the sequence of bases to be added to the second polynucleotide. A buffer reagent is flowed through the reagent management system and flow cell in a plurality of cycles of consecutive forward and reverse flow directions.