Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Buying qPCR Reagents

1. What key performance attributes does the company’s reverse transcription and qPCR reagents offer that the competition does not offer? Do these attributes make your choice the most fit for your application?

2. Are you able to submit data files and questions to your reagent provider to help ensure your lab’s success? Does your reagent provider offer on-site and electronic qPCR application support, and technical phone support before and after product purchase?

3. qPCR reagents have been on the market for many years. What improvements in enzyme engineering and buffering chemistry has the company taken to provide the latest in qPCR reagents performance?

4. Does your reagent provider offer technical support to enable successful transitioning to the newest qPCR reagent offerings whenever they become available?

5. What processes are in place to ensure minimal lot to lot variation of the reagents when generating data for a long-term study?

Top 7 Questions You Should Ask When Buying RNAi Reagents

1. Does the RNAi product provide transient silencing only or does it allow stable gene knockdown? Choice of RNAi products will be determined by whether you need to knockdown expression for several days or create a stable cell line.

2. Is the RNAi product suitable for your cells? How difficult it is to transfect your cells will determine the delivery method you require, such as tailored transfection reagent or lentiviral vector.

3. Ask if a ready-to-use product is already available; has the silencing of your gene(s) of interest already been validated and published?

4. Do the RNAi products guarantee a level of knockdown? What happens if you do not get the amount of gene silencing needed?

5. Are positive and negative controls provided with the RNAi products?

6. Does the RNAi product silence all known splice variants of my gene of interest and does it target the ORF or non-coding region of my gene?

7. How can I minimize the interferon response of RNAi transfection? shRNA instead of siRNA may be an option in some cases.

Recently Released Chemicals, Reagents, & Standards

TaqMan Multiplex Reagents

• Allow researchers to simultaneously analyze samples for multiple genetic markers of interest in a single qPCR
• Designed to reduce the cost of analysis and preserve starting material for applications such as plant genotyping or pathogen detection
• Include TaqMan QSY probe with new QSY quencher and two new ABY and JUN dyes

Life Technologies
www.lifetechnologies.com

MVS Reagent Solutions

• Expand the volume range measurable with Artel’s line of DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) products
• For use with the company’s MVS® Multichannel Verification System and Liquid Handler Performance Verification Service
• Enable users to accurately calibrate and verify their liquid handlers when dispensing DMSO-based solutions
• The Artel reagents now cover all volumes less than 10 μL

Artel
www.artel-usa.com

Certified Reference Materials

• Now include quantitative mycoplasma genomic DNA prepared as Certified Reference Materials
• Support ATCC’s range of quality control products, which include the Universal Mycoplasma Detection Kit and a collection of 10 titered mycoplasma reference strains
• Calibrated to one or more specified properties, making them suited for use in challenging assays, verifying or comparing test methods, and benchmarking critical assay performance during assay validation or implementation

ATCC
www.atcc.org

pH Buffers in Capsule Format

• Have been tested at 25 degrees C and are NIST traceable
• Color coded for quick identification
• Easy to use, simply empty the contents of one capsule in 100 ml of distilled water. They dissolve quickly and are preservative free
• Provide accuracy of +/-0.02 pH units
• Packaged in 50 capsules per pack

Reagecon
www.reagecon.com

Chemicals, Reagents, & Standards Manufacturers