Do I need to get all 4 modules or can I just get the kinetics kit(s)?

In general, no. If S4U labeling concentrations and incorporation rates for the defined experimental conditions are already established, then you would need only the SLAMseq Kinetics Kit – Anabolic Kinetics Module (Cat. No. 061), or – Catabolic Kinetics Module (Cat. No. 062) for conducting labeling experiments.

Guidelines for tested cell lines are provided below in Do you have guidelines for the optimal S4U concentrations to use for different cell lines? and in the SLAMseq Kit User Guide Appendix E (p.28).

Assessing cell viability and optimal S4U labeling concentrations is recommended when using new cell types, or for establishing new experimental set-ups (e.g. extended labeling duration). For this purpose, we recommend the SLAMseq Explorer Kit – Cell Viability Titration Module (Cat. No. 059).

Analyzing S4U incorporation rates with the SLAMseq Explorer Kit – S4U Incorporation Module (Cat. No. 060) also provides a way to directly measure S4U uptake in newly synthesized RNA for calculating the efficiency of S4U labeling and conversion. This can be carried out via shallow sequencing of QuantSeq FWD libraries or via HPLC analysis.