Bio-Rad this week introduced its Precision Melt Supermix for high-resolution-melt-based detection of SNPs and CpG methylation for epigenetic studies.
The new reagents include EvaGreen dye, which is required for detection of class III/IV SNPs, Bio-Rad said. The supermix discriminates all four SNP classes across a broad range of amplicons, allowing the study of any genomic region, regardless of amplicon length and GC content.
The supermix is also fully compatible with bisulfite-converted DNA and allows for accurate detection of CpG methylation status, Bio-Rad said. In addition, its room temperature stability allows researchers to screen thousands of samples using Bio-Rad’s CFX96 Touch or CFX384 Touch real-time PCR systems, but the reagents are compatible with all HRM-capable thermal cyclers.
DuPont Qualicon this week introduced the BAX System STEC Suite, a trio of real-time PCR assays that enable food processors, reference labs, and government labs to detect Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, or STEC, most commonly associated with severe foodborne illness.
The BAX System assay detects a combination of virulence genes called stx and eae to quickly and cost-effectively clear negative samples in production lines, DuPont said. Two multiplex PCR panels can determine which of the top six non-O157 STEC serogroups — O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 — are present in positive samples.
DuPont Qualicon said that it developed the tests in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture.