At Bitesize Bio, Suzanne Kennedy writes about a new tool being used in qPCR -- acupuncture needles. Karl Hasenstein's lab, she says, is using these needles to isolate mRNA from single cells without killing the cells as glass needles do. The stainless steel of the needles also allows for uniform coating of oligodT. "What was really impressive is the kinetics of binding. Data presented showed that within 60 seconds, the amount of RNA captured in the vicinity of the needle reached full saturation," Kennedy says.