diff --git a/bin/combine_counts.R b/bin/combine_counts.R
index c4b234b..50d6801 100755
--- a/bin/combine_counts.R
+++ b/bin/combine_counts.R
@@ -28,13 +28,12 @@ library <- readr::read_tsv(library_file) %>%
   dplyr::select(id, group)
 
 names(count_files) <- stringr::str_replace(basename(count_files), ".txt", "")
-pattern <- paste(c(paste0(names(count_files), "_"), ".sam"), collapse = "|")
+pattern <- paste(c(paste0(names(count_files), "#"), "\\.sam"), collapse = "|")
 
 lapply(count_files, read_featurecounts) %>%
   purrr::map(tidyr::gather, sample_name, count, -id) %>%
   dplyr::bind_rows() %>%
   dplyr::mutate(sample_name = stringr::str_replace_all(sample_name, pattern, "")) %>%
-  dplyr::mutate(sample_name = stringr::str_split(sample_name, "#") %>% lapply("[[", 2)) %>%
   dplyr::group_by(id, sample_name) %>%
   dplyr::summarize(count = sum(count)) %>%
   dplyr::ungroup() %>%
@@ -42,4 +41,4 @@ lapply(count_files, read_featurecounts) %>%
   dplyr::inner_join(library, by = "id") %>%
   dplyr::select(id, group, dplyr::everything()) %>%
   readr::format_tsv() %>%
-  cat
+  cat
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bin/process_library.R b/bin/process_library.R
index 456431c..6f0e591 100755
--- a/bin/process_library.R
+++ b/bin/process_library.R
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 ### command line parameters
 args         <- commandArgs(trailingOnly = TRUE)
 input_file   <- args[1]
-padding_beginning <- toupper(args[2])
+padding <- toupper(args[2])
 library_name <- stringr::str_replace(basename(input_file), ".txt", "")
 
 ### functions
@@ -31,11 +31,18 @@ stopifnot(!any(duplicated(raw$id)))
 stopifnot(!any(duplicated(raw$sequence)))
 
 ### generate fasta file for bowtie2 index
+
+#max guide length + overhang of 1
 seq_length <- max(nchar(raw$sequence))
 
-paste0(padding_beginning, raw$sequence) %>%
+#reverse complement sgRNAs sequence
+raw$sequence_rc <- Biostrings::DNAStringSet(raw$sequence) %>%
+  Biostrings::reverseComplement() %>%
+  as.character()
+
+paste0(raw$sequence_rc, padding) %>%
   toupper %>%
-  stringr::str_sub(start=-23) %>%
+  stringr::str_sub(end=seq_length) %>%
   purrr::set_names(raw$id) %>%
   Biostrings::DNAStringSet() %>%
   Biostrings::writeXStringSet(paste0(library_name, ".fasta"), format = "fasta")
diff --git a/conf/resources.config b/conf/resources.config
index a0adc87..e6eb2ed 100644
--- a/conf/resources.config
+++ b/conf/resources.config
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ process {
         memory = { 15.GB * task.attempt }
     }
     withName: align {
-        cpus = { 8 * task.attempt }
+        cpus = { 16 * task.attempt }
     }
     withName: fastqc {
         time = { 3.h * task.attempt } 
     }
     withName: count {
-        cpus = { 8 * task.attempt }
+        cpus = { 16 * task.attempt }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/main.nf b/main.nf
index daac0fa..70e2fbe 100755
--- a/main.nf
+++ b/main.nf
@@ -43,13 +43,14 @@ def helpMessage() {
 
         --spacer_seq                Nucleotide sequence in spacer sequence between
                                     barcodes and sgRNA / shRNA sequence. 
-                                        (default: TTCCAGCATAGCTCTTAAAC)
+                                    (default: TTCCAGCATAGCTCTTAAAC)
 
-        --guide_length              Number of nucleotides in guide sequence. (default: 21)
+        --max_guide_length          Number of nucleotides in guide sequence. (default: 21)
 
-        --padding_beginning         Nucleotides used for 5' padding if sgRNA / shRNA are of
-                                    unequal length. Must be one of G, C, T, and A.
-                                    (default: ACC)
+        --padding                   Nucleotides used for padding if sgRNA / shRNA are of
+                                    unequal length. Corresponds to nucleotides downstream of 
+                                    the sgRNA (post guide sequence). Must be one of G, C, T, 
+                                    and A. (default: GTT)
 
         --add_unknown_to_fastqc     Add unknown sequences (no barcode match during demultiplexing) 
                                     to multiQC report. (default: false)
@@ -85,8 +86,8 @@ log.info " barcode file             : ${params.barcodes}"
 log.info " barcode demultiplex (nt) : ${params.barcode_length}"
 log.info " spacer (nt)              : ${params.spacer_seq}"
 log.info " demultiplex mismatches   : ${params.barcode_demux_mismatches}"
-log.info " 5' guide padding base    : ${params.padding_beginning}"
-log.info " guide length             : ${params.guide_length}"
+log.info " guide padding bases      : ${params.padding}"
+log.info " max guide length         : ${params.max_guide_length}"
 log.info " add unknown to FastQC    : ${params.add_unknown_to_fastqc}"
 log.info " ======================"
 log.info ""
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ process trim_barcode_and_spacer {
     length_barcode_spacer=\${#barcode_spacer}
 
     mv ${fastq} input.fastq.gz
-    cutadapt input.fastq.gz -j ${task.cpus} -u \${length_barcode_spacer} -o ${id}.fastq.gz -l ${params.guide_length}
+    cutadapt input.fastq.gz -j ${task.cpus} -u \${length_barcode_spacer} -o ${id}.fastq.gz -l ${params.max_guide_length}
     fastqc -q ${id}.fastq.gz
     """
 }
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ process process_library {
 
     script:
     """
-    process_library.R ${library} ${params.padding_beginning}
+    process_library.R ${library} ${params.padding}
     """
 }
 
@@ -286,10 +287,11 @@ process align {
     bowtie2 \
         --threads \$((${task.cpus})) \
         -x ${index}/index \
-        -L ${params.guide_length} \
+        -L ${params.max_guide_length} \
         --score-min 'C,0,-1' \
         -N 0 \
         --seed 42 \
+        --norc \
         <(zcat ${fastq}) 2> ${id}.log > ${id}.sam
     """
 }
diff --git a/nextflow.config b/nextflow.config
index ed1c64b..1563a36 100755
--- a/nextflow.config
+++ b/nextflow.config
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ params {
 	barcode_demux_mismatches = 0
 	barcode_length = 4
 	spacer_seq = 'TTCCAGCATAGCTCTTAAAC'
-	guide_length = 21
-	padding_beginning = 'ACC'
+	max_guide_length = 21
+	padding = 'GGT'
     add_unknown_to_fastqc = false
 }
 
diff --git a/test_data/expected_output.txt b/test_data/expected_output.txt
index 2675239..040f65d 100755
--- a/test_data/expected_output.txt
+++ b/test_data/expected_output.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-id	group	testple_1	testple_2	testple_3	testple_4	testple_5	testple_6
+id	group	test_sample_1	test_sample_2	test_sample_3	test_sample_4	test_sample_5	test_sample_6
 ABHD16B_1	ABHD16B	100	100	100	100	100	100
 ABHD16B_2	ABHD16B	100	100	100	100	100	100
 ABHD16B_3	ABHD16B	100	100	100	100	100	100
@@ -199,17 +199,17 @@ LSS_1	LSS	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LSS_2	LSS	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LSS_3	LSS	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LSS_4	LSS	100	100	100	100	100	100
-LYPD5_1	LYPD5	97	97	97	97	97	97
+LYPD5_1	LYPD5	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LYPD5_2	LYPD5	100	100	100	100	100	100
-LYPD5_3	LYPD5	103	103	103	103	103	103
+LYPD5_3	LYPD5	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LYPD5_4	LYPD5	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LYRM7_1	LYRM7	100	100	100	100	100	100
 LYRM7_2	LYRM7	100	100	100	100	100	100
-LYRM7_3	LYRM7	44	44	44	44	44	44
-LYRM7_4	LYRM7	156	156	156	156	156	156
-M6PR_1	M6PR	146	146	146	146	146	146
+LYRM7_3	LYRM7	100	100	100	100	100	100
+LYRM7_4	LYRM7	100	100	100	100	100	100
+M6PR_1	M6PR	100	100	100	100	100	100
 M6PR_2	M6PR	100	100	100	100	100	100
-M6PR_3	M6PR	54	54	54	54	54	54
+M6PR_3	M6PR	100	100	100	100	100	100
 M6PR_4	M6PR	100	100	100	100	100	100
 MAU2_1	MAU2	100	100	100	100	100	100
 MAU2_2	MAU2	100	100	100	100	100	100
@@ -347,8 +347,8 @@ TMEM211_1	TMEM211	100	100	100	100	100	100
 TMEM211_2	TMEM211	100	100	100	100	100	100
 TMEM211_3	TMEM211	100	100	100	100	100	100
 TMEM211_4	TMEM211	100	100	100	100	100	100
-TMEM256_1	TMEM256	1	1	1	1	1	1
-TMEM256_2	TMEM256	199	199	199	199	199	199
+TMEM256_1	TMEM256	100	100	100	100	100	100
+TMEM256_2	TMEM256	100	100	100	100	100	100
 TMEM256_3	TMEM256	100	100	100	100	100	100
 TMEM256_4	TMEM256	100	100	100	100	100	100
 TPP1_1	TPP1	100	100	100	100	100	100