Life Technologies has launched new products for its Ion Torrent sequencing systems. The Ion Library Equalizer Kits eliminate the need for library quantification and library dilutions prior to clonal amplification for Ion AmpliSeq experiments. Its Ion TargetSeq Exome Rapid Protocol enables exome capture in 16 hours. The Ion AmpliSeq RNA Library kit enables targeted RNA-seq and requires 500 picograms of RNA or 5 nanograms of RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, while the Ion Total RNA-Seq Kit for AB Library Builder enables whole-transcriptome sequencing with 500 nangograms of total RNA or 50 nanograms of enriched small RNA.
Life also launched several AmpliSeq products, including the AmpliSeq RNA Cancer Panel, which targets the same 50 genes in its second version of the AmpliSeq DNA Cancer Hotspot Panel; an RNA custom panel, an AmpliSeq RNA Apoptosis Panel, which targets 267 genes involved in cellular apoptosis; a DNA Custom Mouse panel that targets up to 5 megabases with 6,144 amplicons; and the AmpliSeq Designer 2.0, which enables researchers to design human DNA or RNA panels and also mouse DNA panels.
On the informatics side, it has updated its Torrent Suite Software and its Ion Reporter Software and has added a Torrent Browser Plug-in Store that enables users to create and share plug-ins.
Agilent Technologies has launched several new sample-prep products and an analysis tool. Its SureSelect Strand-Specific RNA Library Preparation Kit enables researchers to prepare strand-specific libraries for RNA-seq with as little as 50 nanograms of starting material. It also launched a HaloPlex Exome kit, which requires 200 nanograms of input DNA, and SureCall software that translates raw data into a report with variants ranked and classified.
Real Time Genomics has launched a bioinformatics platform for the interpretation of genomic data from the study of rare, childhood disorders. The pipeline is compatible with Illumina, 454, Pacific Biosciences, and Life Technologies' Ion Torrent sequencing systems.