A method, comprising: linearly moving a lift plate and a system plunger assembly carried by the lift plate toward a reagent cartridge plunger assembly of a reagent cartridge, the system plunger assembly including at least one system plunger (120, 121), the reagent plunger assembly including at least one reagent cartridge plunger (150, 151); characterised by actuating the at least one reagent cartridge plunger (150, 151) a first predetermined distance to contact a gasket assembly of a flow cell assembly responsive to the at least one system plunger (120, 121) contacting the at least one reagent cartridge plunger (150, 151), the flow cell assembly including a flow cell including at least one channel, a flow cell inlet, and a flow cell outlet, a first fluidic coupling fluidically coupled to the flow cell inlet and a second fluidic coupling fluidically coupled to the flow cell outlet, and the gasket assembly fluidically coupled to the first and second fluidic couplings (124, 125) and having an inlet gasket having a through bore and being fluidically coupled to the flow cell inlet via the first fluidic coupling, and an outlet gasket having a through bore and being fluidically coupled to the flow cell outlet via the second fluidic coupling; and fluidically coupling the inlet gasket to a first reagent cartridge port of the reagent cartridge and fluidically coupling the outlet gasket to a second reagent cartridge port of the reagent cartridge responsive to the at least one system plunger (120, 121) actuating the at least one reagent cartridge (150,151) plunger a second predetermined distance to allow fluid communication between the reagent cartridge ports and the flow cell via the flow cell inlet and the flow cell outlet. linearly moving a lift plate and a system plunger assembly carried by the lift plate toward a reagent cartridge plunger assembly of a reagent cartridge, the system plunger assembly including at least one system plunger (120, 121), the reagent plunger assembly including at least one reagent cartridge plunger (150, 151); characterised by actuating the at least one reagent cartridge plunger (150, 151) a first predetermined distance to contact a gasket assembly of a flow cell assembly responsive to the at least one system plunger (120, 121) contacting the at least one reagent cartridge plunger (150, 151), the flow cell assembly including a flow cell including at least one channel, a flow cell inlet, and a flow cell outlet, a first fluidic coupling fluidically coupled to the flow cell inlet and a second fluidic coupling fluidically coupled to the flow cell outlet, and the gasket assembly fluidically coupled to the first and second fluidic couplings (124, 125) and having an inlet gasket having a through bore and being fluidically coupled to the flow cell inlet via the first fluidic coupling, and an outlet gasket having a through bore and being fluidically coupled to the flow cell outlet via the second fluidic coupling; and fluidically coupling the inlet gasket to a first reagent cartridge port of the reagent cartridge and fluidically coupling the outlet gasket to a second reagent cartridge port of the reagent cartridge responsive to the at least one system plunger (120, 121) actuating the at least one reagent cartridge (150,151) plunger a second predetermined distance to allow fluid communication between the reagent cartridge ports and the flow cell via the flow cell inlet and the flow cell outlet.