Exiqon this week launched Stem Cell Focus microRNA PCR panels for embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell research.
The 85 qPCR and 11 control assays have been experimentally optimized and validated to fit the needs of researchers interested in differentiation, proliferation, development, and homeostasis of stem cells.
The assays require a 10 µl reaction volume and sample input of as little as 1 picogram of total RNA without any need for pre-amplification. The assays can detect as few as five copies of microRNAs, and can detect microRNAs with high A-T sequence content due to the inclusion of the company's Locked Nucleic Acid, or LNA, technology in the PCR primers.
The new PCR panels can be used on all major brands of qPCR instruments, including instruments with both 96- and 384-well array formats, Exiqon said.