A scalable, low-cost, sample hashing workflow for multiomic single-cell analysis using the Seq-Well S³ platform

In-depth analyses of clinical samples have the potential to provide unparalleled insights into the cellular mechanisms that underlie both health and disease, as well as therapeutic and prophylactic responses. However, these specimens are often paucicellular, necessitating the use of workflows that maximize the amount of information that can be learned. Here we provide a detailed protocol for generating and analyzing single-cell multiomic data from low-input samples with the Seq-Well S³ platform. We further describe a matched pipeline for sample hashing that reduces costs and sources of technical variation in the resulting data while also enhancing throughput. In brief, our streamlined and efficient methodology involves: (1) optionally staining single-cell suspensions with antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates for cell surface protein quantification and/or sample multiplexing; (2) generating Seq-Well S³ sequencing libraries; (3) optionally producing bulk-RNA sequencing libraries via SMART-seq2 to support genetic demultiplexing; and (4) computationally analyzing the resulting data. Each step herein has been designed to leverage readily available reagents and standard laboratory equipment, substantially lowering barriers to entry for researchers. The overall Protocol can yield high-quality multiomic insights from samples in under a week.