A newly released kit for gene expression measurement was designed for high-throughput use with 384-well microplates.

The Affymetrix (Santa Clara, CA, USA) QuantiGene Singleplex Assay does not require nucleic acid purification, reverse transcription, or PCR amplification. Packaged for use on 384-well microplates, the assay is readily adaptable for automated high-throughput screening.

The manufacturer recommends using the QuantiGene assay for screening of compounds in drug discovery, for biomarker validation, and in siRNA (small, inhibiting RNA) knockdown studies. The assay works with a wide range of sample types, including heavily degraded and cross-linked RNA in FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin embedded) samples and RNA circulating in blood.

“This new, automation-friendly 384-well assay format fits with current workflows because cells are most commonly cultured in 384-well plates for high-throughput screening,” said Brian McLucas, product manager at Affymetrix. “Furthermore, the limiting step with qPCR is RNA purification, which is completely avoided with QuantiGene assays. Gene expression-based high-throughput screening of hundreds of thousands of compounds can be carried out in just weeks.”

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