Service Provider Guide

Overview

Genohub connects service providers with researchers interested in sequencing and library prep by taking structured service entries from providers, creating optimized sequencing packages and displaying them to researchers who seek these services. By leveraging our database of instrument specs such as read length and numbers of reads per run, Genohub is able to present your services to researchers who don't have familiarity with NGS technology specs and facilitate the entire order process, from shopping to project management. To get started, sign up, complete your facility profile and begin listing your regular and one-time services. Once you’ve completed these entries, you’ll be on your way to receiving and accepting orders from researchers. When you receive project requests, manage them through Genohub’s project interface. After your work is complete and you've sent your deliverables to the researcher we’ll send you payment for the total amount of your order minus our service fee. Each step of your interaction with Genohub is described in detail in this guide. If you have any additional questions, just contact us!

Listing Your Services

Use the Service Listings page to add your services to Genohub. You can currently list the following types of services:

  • Next-generation sequencing (priced per-lane)
  • Library preparation and gene panel service (priced per sample)
  • Combination of library preparation and sequencing (priced per sample)
  • Bioinformatics (flexible pricing)
  • Genotyping (flexible pricing)
  • Nucleic acid extraction (flexible pricing)

Click the + Add New Service button to open the Add Service form, which will guide you through listing your services. For each service some or all of the following fields may be required:

Pricing model:

The pricing model determines the meaning of the unit in the unit price field. Options are:

  • Per-sample
  • Per-lane*
  • Per-hour
  • Flat price
  • Other

* Please note the following platform-dependent definitions of per-lane :

  • For the NextSeq and Roche 454 platforms interpret per-lane as per one flow cell.
  • For the IonTorrent platform interpret per-lane as per one chip.
  • For all other platform interpret per-lane as per one lane.
Unit Price:

This is the price that the client is charged. When entering prices for your services ensure that they are inclusive of all taxes and fees. Genohub will send payment to you from Austin, Texas (USA). In most cases this eliminates your need to charge tax, however you are responsible for determining your own tax liability.

Minimum and maximum number of units:

Use these fields to define the range of units that this price applies to. You can leave the maximum field blank if you only have a single pricing tier.

The minimums and maximums for NGS service are enforced by our search algorithm. For example if you’ve listed a service with 10 samples as the minimum number of units, that listing won’t be displayed to a customer who is running a search for 8 samples.

Where it makes sense you can enter an amount smaller than 1 for minimum number of units. For example enter 0.25 for a quarter of a lane of sequencing

Typical turnaround time:

This is the estimated number of days this service typically takes to be completed. We will display these as estimated turnaround times to customers who search for your services. When you receive a project request you will have the opportunity to separately specify a guaranteed turnaround time on a per-quote basis. See the Turnaround Time section for more details on this.

How do I list my sequencing services?

There are two ways to list your sequencing services: per-lane (sequencing-only) or per-sample (includes both sequencing and library prep). We recommend that you list both, and also separately list your library prep services. To do this, click on the Add Service button the Service Listings page and select the corresponding category from the category dropdown.

Please note the following platform-dependent definitions of per-lane :

  • For the NextSeq and Roche 454 platforms interpret per-lane as per one flow cell.
  • For the IonTorrent platform interpret per-lane as per one chip.
  • For all other platform interpret per-lane as per one lane.

See this section for a detailed description of each field on the service listing page.

For some background, here's a rough overview of how our NGS search algorithm works:

When a client has pre-constructed libraries and is only looking for a sequencing service, our search algorithm only returns matching sequencing services with per-lane pricing. Our algorithm uses our database of instrument specs to calculate how much capacity (i.e. how many lanes) is needed to meet customer's requirements.

When a client needs both library preparation and sequencing our search algorithm returns two types of results:

  1. Results that are put together by automatically combining your per-lane sequencing listings with your matching library prep services. In this case the prices and estimated turnaround times are simply added together to calculated the total price and turnaround time.
  2. Results that directly use your combination library prep and sequencing packages.

When a client only needs library preparation, our search algorithm matches both your library prep

How do I specify tiered pricing?

For tiered pricing list identical entries with different prices and different minimum and maximum number of units. For example for a given library preparation service you can have two listings:

$200 per sample for 1 to 20 samples (min = 1, max = 20)
$180 per sample for 21 samples and higher (min = 21, max = blank)

How do lane fractions work?

Allowing lane fractions will make your prices more competitive for clients who don’t really need full lanes.

If you allow lane sharing, for per-lane sequencing services you can enter a value smaller than 1 for the minimum number of units. For example you can enter 0.25 as the minimum number of units, and $1000 as the unit price. In this case our search algorithm will match your sequencing services in quarter lane increments, e.g. a quarter of a lane at $250, half a lane at $500, etc.

Turnaround Time (TAT)

Turnaround time (TAT) is defined as the number of calendar days from when the project starts to when the results are delivered. For every Genohub projects we ask that you specify two kinds of TAT: Estimated TAT and Guaranteed TAT.

Estimated TAT is your best-guess estimate of how long the project will take. For every service that you list and make available for purchase on Genohub we ask you to indicate an estimated TAT. This number will be used in the quotes that are automatically generated on Genohub. For example if you have specified an estimated TAT of 20 days for a sequencing service and an estimated TAT of 10 days for a library service, an auto-generated quote that includes both services will be pre-populated with an estimated TAT of 30 days. This estimate will be displayed in the “Other details and terms” of the quote and you will have the opportunity to revise it when you confirm the quote.

Guaranteed TAT is a number that you are required to separately specify for each confirmed quote, and is strictly enforced by Genohub. Please see the Turnaround Time Policy section of Genohub Project Policies for more details.

Genohub Projects

Both clients and providers can initiate projects on Genohub.


Client-Initiated Genohub Projects

As a provider using Genohub, you may receive project requests from researchers either through our NGS matching engine or by referrals made by Genohub staff after Genohub provides initial consultation to clients. All client-initiated projects on Genohub are subject to Genohub Project Policies. The typical project lifecycle involves the following steps:

  1. Researcher finds a matching service package on Genohub. A quote is auto-generated for the project based on your service listings.
  2. Researcher starts a project based on the selected package and sends you a request for confirming the auto-generated quote. At this stage you get an automatic e-mail notification letting you know that there is a new project awaiting your response.
  3. You can either confirm the auto-generated quote or easily revise the quote based on the client's specific needs.
  4. The client accepts the confirmed quote.
  5. Genohub sends you a Purchase Order and the actual project can then move forward, e.g. the client can send you the samples.
  6. Service provider and client use the project page to communicate, attach other supporting documents, update the status, make adjustments to the order if necessary etc.
  7. Once you have completed the work you upload the results/data to our platform and set the project status to Results Delivered.
  8. The client has up to 20 days to review the project results and raise issues. Absent any issues we mark the project as Complete.
  9. You will paid no later than 30 days after the project status is set to Complete.

Provider-Initiated Genohub Projects

Provider initiated projects (PIP) are projects that you start for a client. PIPs are typically started under the following scenarios:

  • You would like to use our project management and quotation tools for free with your own clients or internally at your own institution.
  • A client finds your service on Genohub and contacts you directly about starting a project.
  • You would like start a project involving a service that you haven’t actually listed on Genohub.

Depending on your preference and the type of client, a provider-initiated project can either be Genohub-managed or provider-managed.


Provider-Managed Projects

With Provider-Managed projects, you can use Genohub’s project management and quotation tools free of charge with clients internal or external to your organization that you already have a prior relationship with. Genohub does not charge you or the client service fees for these projects. However, unlike Genohub-Managed projects you will be responsible for all invoicing, billing and administrative support. Genohub will only provide customer support for technical issues related to our website.

The only clients you may not start a provider-managed project with are the ones who first found your services through Genohub within the past year.


Genohub-Managed Projects

With Genohub-managed projects, just like regular client-initiated projects, Genohub acts as the payment intermediary and handles all invoicing and billing. Genohub will also offer administrative and technical support to the extent possible.

All Genohub-managed projects are subject to Policies for Genohub-Managed Projects.


Starting a Provider-Initiated Project

To begin a project for a client, click on the “Start New Project” button in your Projects Page. Enter the client information and select whether it’s going to be a Genohub-Managed or a Provider-Managed project.

Create a quote by clicking the “Edit Quote” button. Your quote can include any service you’d like (e.g. sample preparation, microarray, data analysis, microscopy, etc.) and doesn’t necessarily have to relate to sequencing.

Once you’re done creating the quote, click “Confirm and Submit Quote”. Your confirmation will result in an email notification, giving the client access to the quote. If the client has never used Genohub in the past, an account will be instantly created and login information sent to the client. If you’re not ready to submit the quote, simply save it and come back to it later via your Project Dashboard.

Quotes sent to clients will require their confirmation before the project can begin. For provider-managed projects, once the client confirms the quote, you can begin your own billing and invoicing process. At any point in time you may communicate with the client through the messaging interface on the project page, and attach files related to the project. Changing the status of the project to ‘Complete’ will move the project from your Open Project queue into Closed Projects.


Project Management Features

At any time throughout the project:

  • Provider can create and submit revised quotes.
  • Client can accept proposed quotes. The amount specified in the most recent accepted quote is what gets billed to the client.
  • Provider, client and Genohub staff can post messages to the project so everyone is on the same page.
  • Both provider and client can upload project-related files to the project.

Payments for Genohub-Managed Projects

Genohub acts as the payment intermediary for all Genohub-Managed projects initiated on genohub.com either by the client or the provider. This means that regardless of what organization or geographical location the client is from, you receive a Genohub Purchase Order at the beginning of the project and Genohub pays you on time after the project is complete. Once a quote is confirmed by you and accepted by the client we make the necessary payment arrangements with the client and send you a Purchase Order, at which point the project can move forward. We will issue you a payment as specified in the Purchase Order no later than 30 days after the project status is set to Complete.

Direct Projects (i.e. Offline Projects Outside of Genohub)

In some cases clients who have found your services on Genohub may contact you directly about starting a project. In such cases we strongly encourage you to start a Genohub project for the client, but it's also acceptable to continue working with the client offline and report a direct project to Genohub. Both direct and Genohub projects count toward your total Genohub project count which will in turn help your default Genohub search rankings. You can view both your direct and Genohub projects on the Projects Page.


Services Fees on Direct Projects

Once a client finds you through Genohub, any projects you undertake with them, whether or not through our website, are subject to a service fee. This is true even if either you or the client take the communication offline and work directly with each other. This applies to the original individual starting the project on Genohub, all their collaborators and anyone in their institution they refer you to.

More specifically, a Genohub service fee as specified in your Pricing Agreement will apply to those direct projects that were completed within ten years of client's first interaction. The date of the first interaction for each client is displayed to you on the Introductions Page. If you already had a working relationship with the client prior to their Genohub interactions please indicate that in the project description and we'll waive the service fee.

We normally follow up with Genohub clients on their projects, but it is the provider's responsibility to report any direct projects that would be subject to a Genohub service fee. Please report any such direct project as soon as possible and no later 14 days after the completion of the project.

Failure to report a direct project with a Genohub client is a violation of our policy and may result in termination of your Genohub account. Termination of your account does not affect your liability for the service fees described above.


How to Report a Direct Project

To report a direct project, either email us at support@genohub.com, or look up the client by their last name on the Introductions Page and click the Report Direct Project button.

Genohub Project Policies

All Genohub-managed projects are subject to Policies for Genohub-Managed Projects.