Table 2. Summary of protocols used in experiments 2 and 3.

Cost is estimated per library assuming a enough libraries to consume all reagents at US catalog prices as of May 2014, and includes $2 for TRIzol RNA extraction, but not experimenter labor, sample QC, labware, or sequencing. Difference in prices in the Smart-seq2 protocols entirely due to scaling in cost of Nextera reagents.

Protocol	Shorthand	Cost/library
TruSeq	TruS	$45
Clontech	CT	$105
Epicentre TotalScript	TotS	$115
Smart-seq2, standard protocol	SS	$55
Smart-seq2, 2.5 fold dilution	SS—2.5×	$28
Smart-seq2, 5 fold dilution	SS—5×	$20