Product News: New dPCR liquid biopsy assays for QuantStudio Absolute Q dPCR System and custom design tool simplify cancer research

Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced over 50 new Absolute Q Liquid Biopsy Assays* to run on the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Absolute Q dPCR System*, the first fully integrated digital PCR (dPCR) system designed to provide highly accurate and consistent results within 90 minutes with minimal hands-on time. The assays are pre-designed for fast and reliable research in the identification of genetic mutations, including challenging cancer hotspot mutations, to help enable simplification of liquid biopsy workflows.   

The liquid biopsy portfolio, which includes 20 previously developed assays, covers common genes such as EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, PIK3CA and PK53. The wet lab verified liquid biopsy assays provide highly sensitive, specific nucleic acid quantification, enabling SNP detection of down to 0.1% variant allele frequency.  

In addition, Thermo Fisher’s new Digital PCR Custom Assay Design tool enables academic and clinical research laboratories to quickly generate custom dPCR assays with no design experience necessary. The design tool and assays are suitable for both translational and clinical research settings. 

“Liquid biopsy is a cost-effective, minimally invasive means to isolate and analyze circulating tumor DNA and RNA in blood, enabling research in emerging resistance to treatment and toward more frequent monitoring of tumor progression and response to treatment,” said Paul Hung, senior director and general manager, dPCR, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “With our highly sensitive and precise Absolute Q Liquid Biopsy Assays and our simplified dPCR workflow, clinical researchers have a powerful toolset to aid in the fight against cancer.” 

Key Applications: Basic and translational cancer research in oncology, academic (including academic hospital laboratories), public health laboratories. 

Features and benefits:

• Fast, simplified workflow: Provides sample to result in less than two hours with minimal hands-on time.  
• Highly sensitive: Wet lab verified to detect down to 0.1% mutant allele frequency (MAF) in a single well.  
• Precision performance: Each probe includes a minor groove binder moiety that stabilizes probe-target hybrids to improve sequence discrimination.  
• rusted results: Based on Applied Biosystems TaqMan chemistry formulated and optimized for the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Q Digital PCR System and backed by a performance guarantee.

*For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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