Actuation systems and methods for use with flow cells

An apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a removable cartridge, the cartridge including one or more reservoirs for holding one or more sequencing reagents, the cartridge further including one or more connectors in fluid communication with the one or more reservoirs;
• (b) a removable flow cell assembly, the flow cell assembly including:
• (i) one or more reagent receiving ports, the reagent receiving ports located to fluidically connect to the one or more connectors of the cartridge when the cartridge is engaged with the flow cell assembly;
• (ii) a channel;
• (iv) a fluidic network configured to fluidically connect the reagent receiving ports to the channel;
• and
• (c) a system configured to removably receive the cartridge and the flow cell assembly, the system configured to control sequencing reactions in the channel and to receive sequencing data when the cartridge and flow cell assembly are loaded into the system.