Invitrogen launches solutions to simplify DNA and RNA sequencing
workflows
8 January 2009
Invitrogen, part of Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE), has
introduced two reagent solutions to simplify genomic and transcriptome
analysis on next-generation, high-throughput genomic analysis platforms.
Both solutions provide basic and clinical researchers with an
innovative workflow that greatly reduces the time, cost, and
experimental variability associated with next-generation sequencing
library preparation.
The RiboMinus kit and the E-Gel SizeSelect 2% pre-cast agarose gels
simplify the workflows and reduce the experimental time and cost of
applications such as discovery and characterization of the entire
transcriptome, validation of whole genome association results, targeted
resequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), rare and somatic
mutation detection, and epigenetic studies.
The solutions are compatible with next-generation high-throughput
genome analysis platforms, including Life Technologies’ Applied
Biosystems SOLiD System, Illumina’s Genome Analyzer and Roche’s Genome
Sequencer FLX System.
The RiboMinus for RNA-sequencing kits are available in two
configurations: a universal kit for eukaryotes and a more specialized
kit for plants. They are used for the enrichment of RNA for whole
transcriptome analysis for ribonucleic acid sequencing or RNA-Sequencing
applications.
The kit enables the depletion of large ribosomal RNA, the most
abundant RNA in the transcriptome, by using oligonucleotide probes
containing locking nucleic acids and magnetic bead separation
technology.
The ability to deplete the ribosomal RNA is significant because the
abundant RNAs often mask the messenger RNAs that play an influential
role in gene expression, which may affect the detection of novel RNA
transcripts within a cell. For example, scientists may use the RiboMinus
kit to discover low abundance RNA sequences associated with human
disease, as well as in agricultural systems that help determine the
factors involved in drought and pest resistance.
The E-Gel SizeSelect 2% pre-cast agarose gels are designed to
simplify the separation and recovery of nucleic acid fragments of less
than 1000 base pairs for short read fragment library construction. For
most next generation sequencing platforms, the nucleic acid strands need
to be broken into smaller fragments of specific size ranges to
efficiently sequence templates in applications, such as targeted and
whole genome resequencing, transcriptome analysis, small RNA discovery,
ChIP analysis, methylated DNA profiling and de novo assembly.
E-Gel SizeSelect 2% system reduces the time needed to complete
this step from hours to less than 15 minutes without any need for
further purification. The E-Gel system has been used in fragment and
mate-pair/paired end library construction on the Applied Biosystems
SOLiD System and the Illumina Genome Analyzer.
Dr Jim Knowles, Professor and Associate Chair for Research Psychiatry
and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California’s
Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute at the Keck School of Medicine is using
the E-Gel SizeSelect 2% system for the discovery of genetic factors that
predispose individuals to psychiatric illnesses.
His research team is focusing on projects including panic disorder,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, nicotine addiction, opiate addiction,
major depression and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
“We have used the E-Gel SizeSelect 2% system to select different size
fractions of DNA during library preparation for next-generation DNA
sequencing,” said Dr Knowles. “In comparison with agarose gels, this has
been accomplished quickly and efficiently, with a higher yield, while
requiring minimal technical skills.”
Life Technologies Corporation markets the life science industry’s
most comprehensive portfolio of solutions for genomic analysis through
its Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems units.
“Simplifying sequencing workflows enables researchers to generate
more useful data per experiment and allow them to focus on the biology,”
said Rob Bennett, Life Technologies’ Research and Development Leader for
Advanced Sequencing Applications. “Life Technologies is developing
innovative solutions that will be compatible with all next-generation
DNA sequencing platforms to accelerate research and meet the market
demand for faster and cost-effective sequencing.”
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