Exiqon A/S (NASDAQ OMX: EXQ), a leading supplier of high-value gene expression analysis products, today announced the launch of highly flexible and customizable microRNA qPCR panels for sensitive and specific quantification of microRNAs in human, rat, mouse, dog, monkey and several other organisms.
The new customizable Pick-&-Mix microRNA qPCR panels allow researchers to select exactly the qPCR assays of relevance for their particular study which saves time and reagents because microRNA expression profiling can be conducted on a focused set of microRNAs rather than the entire miRNome. This enables analysis of several samples per plate resulting in more efficient use of valuable samples and resources.
The PCR plate configuration process is simplified by presenting the microRNA qPCR assays to the researcher in application specific menus such as organisms e.g. human, rat, mouse, dog etc. or biology e.g. cancer, serum/plasma, stem cells etc.
To make the configuration process simple and easy, the plate configurator tool enables plate design with a few clicks by either uploading entire sets of microRNAs or by composing plates by selecting relevant assays from a list of microRNA assays.
The plate may be edited by a simple ”drag and drop” feature for full customizability. Researchers can also create a My Profile account where plate designs may be stored for later modification or reordering.
In a comment, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing Henrik M. Pfundheller said: “With the launch of the customizable Pick-&-Mix microRNA qPCR panels we are pursuing our strategy of providing flexible solutions that make the buying process simple and effortless for our customers despite very complex biology”, adding “The configurator makes it easy to navigate through the more than 1.500 qPCR microRNA assays pre-validated on synthetic microRNAs in respect to specificity and sensitivity.
All major brands of qPCR instruments are supported by the Pick-&-Mix microRNA qPCR Panels including instruments for both 96 and 384 well array formats.
The miRCURY LNA™ Universal RT microRNA PCR system remains the most sensitive microRNA qPCR platform available today with required sample input of as little as 1 pg of total RNA without any need for pre-amplification and thus avoiding the risk of introducing bias in the generation of cDNA due to the unique universal RT step.
Exiqon offers a complete range of PCR products for the microRNA analysis which besides the Pick-&-Mix microRNA PCR Panels include ready-to-use panels for genome-wide screening of human, mouse and rat microRNAs, RNA spike in kits, as well as RT and Master Mix kits, sample preparation kits, and unique qPCR data analysis software which is fully compatible with any plate configuration defined by the Pick-&-Mix configurator. If the customers have identified proprietary microRNAs and would like to take advantage of Exiqon’s proprietary LNA™ chemistry and unique RT technology, Exiqon also offers an easy-to-use design software for high quality design of custom microRNA qPCR assays (http://www.exiqon.com/custom-PCR). The miRCURY LNA™ microRNA PCR is also accessible via Exiqon Services.
Information on the new Pick-&-Mix microRNA PCR Panels are available at Exiqon’s website: http://www.exiqon.com/pick-and-mix
Additional information:
Lars Kongsbak, President and CEO, tel. +45 4566 0888 (cell: +45 4090 2101)
Henrik M. Pfundheller, VP Sales & Marketing, tel. +45 4565 0420 (cell: +45 4090 2106)
