Bio-Rad Laboratories this week announced an expansion of its PrimePCR probe assays for Droplet Digital PCR, adding 56 assays for mutation detection and 109 assays for copy number variation analysis to the company's existing catalog for the QX100 and QX200 Droplet Digital PCR systems.
The new assays are the only ones available that are predesigned and fully wet-lab validated for digital PCR, Bio-Rad said. The assays are available in multiple reaction sizes with a FAM or HEX fluorophore, the company said.
The mutation detection assays include those for deletions in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, which are believed to be associated with acquired resistance to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor cancer therapy. The assays also target mutations associated with other cancers such as pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and lymphomas, Bio-Rad said. Many of the CNV assay targets are associated with cancers (leukemia, melanoma, and uveal melanoma) and neurological diseases.