Bio-Rad Introduces Wet-Lab Validated Real-Time PCR Assays for Rat Genome

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. has announced the launch of new PrimePCR™ Rat Genome Assays for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). This expands Bio-Rad’s line of wet-lab validated assays that includes human and mouse genome assays.

Assay validation is one of the most important steps in qPCR but is sometimes ignored because researchers may be unaware of its critical importance in generating accurate results. Validating assays can be laborious and time-consuming, especially when they do not work and need to be redesigned and reordered. While some companies claim to sell prevalidated assays, this assertion often refers to software predictions as opposed to wet-lab validation.

Bio-Rad’s PrimePCR Assays, however, are fully wet-lab validated for specificity, efficiency, and sensitivity, and help researchers adhere to industry best practices known as MIQE (minimum information for publication of quantitative real-time PCR experiments). As part of this validation process, Bio-Rad scientists validate all PCR products using next-generation sequencing, verifying the percentage of on-target amplification. In addition, all of the validation raw data are available to the customer.

Meredith Tennis, PhD, a researcher at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, has been using PrimePCR Assays for cancer chemotherapy prevention studies.

“We choose PrimePCR Assays because they are expertly validated, helping us meet MIQE guidelines,” said Tennis. “Through PrimePCR, we can confidently assess every gene we are interested in on the first try, saving us both time and money.”

Researchers will be able to order PrimePCR Rat Genome Assays as individual assays (desalted or HPLC-purified), or build a custom plate (96- or 384-well). Assays are available for more than 20,000 rat genes as SYBR®- and probe-based assays with a choice of five different fluorophores.

In addition, SYBR® and probe PrimePCR PreAmp Assays will be available for the rat genome. These preamplification assays allow researchers who are working with limited samples to look at more targets during their qPCR experiments. Bio-Rad’s PreAmp Supermix, along with PrimePCR PreAmp Assays, produces consistent gene expression results while delivering the industry’s lowest bias.