Bio-Rad Offers New PrimePCR™ Disease Panels for Real-Time PCR

The panels allow researchers to thoroughly and efficiently investigate genes known to be differentially expressed in a specified pathology or biological pathway. Bio-Rad now offers more than 1,100 panels with nearly 6,700 predesigned plate configurations, establishing Bio-Rad as the industry’s largest and most up-to-date provider of predesigned plates.

The expanded product line includes highly studied pathways such as Hedgehog and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, as well as processes such as circadian rhythms and visual perception. In addition, disease categories span hundreds of conditions, ranging from specific cancers and neoplasms to metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Working in collaboration with Thomson Reuters, Bio-Rad developed a plate design strategy that ensures that the most relevant gene targets are chosen for each real-time PCR panel; gene targets are weighted for differentially expressed genes and the frequency with which they appear in the peer-reviewed literature. For disease panels, Thomson Reuters referenced the diseases and their corresponding gene targets in the U.S. National Library of Medicine database.

All of the assays were designed strictly adhering to MIQE guidelines: maximum transcript coverage, minimal overlap with known single nucleotide polymorphisms, and spanning large introns where possible. In addition, all of the primer assays have been fully wet-lab validated for specificity, efficiency, and sensitivity to an unprecedented level of quality, according to Jan Hellemans, cofounder of the qPCR and bioinformatics firm Biogazelle, which worked with Bio-Rad to develop these assays.

Bio-Rad has also updated and expanded its existing predesigned pathway and collection panels to include the most scientifically relevant gene targets based on current literature and the latest bioinformatics data.