Everything looks sexier in SideShare

If you’ve been following this site for a while, you are well aware that Bio-Rad Laboratories has developed a best-in-class expertise at standard and quantitative DNA amplification techiques. You are also probably aware that the Canadian Biotechnologist contains many great technical posts on DNA amplification techniques such as Applications of MIQE to Real Time Quantitative PCR and Fast qPCR assay optimization and validation techniques for HTS. However, one area that we don’t often touch upon is the muddy waters of amplification reagents and plastics. Why not you may ask? Well, quite frankly, it’s just not that sexy of a topic! Nonetheless, this too is an important part of your amplification experiments and you need to be aware of the many tools that are available to you.

In the slideshare below, you will find Bio-Rad’s amplification consumables guide which will take you from RNA isolation through reverse transcription and qPCR. Whatever your needs, it’s quite likely that you will find the answer in this slideshare. Why slideshare you may ask? Because slideshare makes anything look sexier! (Be sure to maximize the screen for easier reading).

Fast qPCR assay optimization and validation techniques for HTS

Following hot on the heals of yesterdays post “A Practical Approach to Assay Design for qPCR“, we are proud to present you with another practical SlideShare on Fast qPCR assay optimization and validation techniques for HTS (high throughput screening). As with the previous presentation, the slide deck can be maximized for easier reading.

Related posts:
How to ensure significant results from your qPCR studies
Applications of MIQE to Real Time Quantitative PCR
A Practical Guide to High Resolution Melt Analysis Genotyping

A Practical Approach to Assay Design for qPCR

Designing good qPCR assays can be fun! Have a look at the presentation below to learn how to overcome difficult assays, designs and optimization while conforming to MIQE guidelines. If the slides are hard to read in their current format, click on the full screen button on the bottom right corner of the slide deck to enlarge.

How to ensure significant results from your qPCR studies

So you’ve heard all the hoopla about MIQE and how important it is to follow the guidelines when conducting your real time qPCR experiments, (if you haven’t, you better check this out!), but where’s the proof that following MIQE actually makes a difference? After all, qPCR was around for several years before anyone came up with this MIQE stuff. Right? Well…maybe not! As it turns out, qPCR experiments that don’t follow MIQE guidelines can be very difficult for others to reproduce and can even lead to incorrect conclusions in gene expression studies.

In a recently released case study involving breast cancer patients, researchers found that the MIQE guidelines played a central role in obtaining the expected conclusions with a positive control target. The article was written to show readers in a simple, stepwise process how to design a good qPCR experiment that covers the major components of the MIQE guidelines. While each step of the experimental design was found to impact the final conclusion (sample collection, RNA quality and purity and the use of appropriate primers), the most striking result was the impact of reference gene selection on the results. At one extreme, normalization by the commonly used GAPDH and 18S reference genes gave either no significant results of statistically significant data that was opposite to the expected outcome, while other more stable reference genes, (HPRT1 and TBP), gave statistically significant data that supported the conclusions from previously published results with this target.

The study concludes that the application of the MIQE guidelines to qPCR experiments result in reliable, quantifiable and reproducible data. With a growing list of journals that are now requiring the submission of supplemental data supporting adherence to the MIQE guidelines,the publication of qPCR data will become more challenging if they are ignored.

So don’t miss out on significant data. Use MIQE!

To read the case study click here.

An Advanced Look at Droplet Digital PCR

As a follow up to our video introduction to droplet digital PCR, we are proud to present you with an advanced video presentation on droplet digital PCR technology. Please have a look and let us know what you think!