Service provides researchers with high-quality, customised assays for SNP genotyping and gene expression studies
Applied Biosystems has recently introduced Assays-by-Design, a service that provides researchers with high-quality, customised assays for SNP genotyping and gene expression studies.
Dennis Gilbert, vice president for genomics applications at Applied Biosystems, explained: "The new Assays-by-Design service will save customers substantial time, money and manual labour, and help them achieve the goal of high throughput, low-cost SNP genotyping and gene expression research." Customers submit their target DNA sequences, including the SNP or exon locations, and the optimal primer and probe sequences are developed using a set of advanced algorithms.
The assays are then tested to ensure that they meet the design specifications of the customer, with SNP assays being functionally tested against human genomic DNA to confirm their performance.
The ready-to-use probes are then delivered to the customer in a convenient single tube, complete with a bar code for easy sample tracking.
The probes, based on minor groove binder (MGB) technology, are specifically designed to allow better discrimination of, and improve the detection of, nucleotide mismatches using shorter sequences.
The use of a non-fluorescent dye eliminates background fluorescence and improves the signal-to-noise ratio, making this service ideal for laboratories that use the ABI Prism 7900HT sequence detection system.
