Molecular Diagnostics
The vast range of molecular diagnostic testing options available today has profoundly impacted the prevention, early detection and comprehensive management of disease. Molecular diagnostics is no longer primarily focused on infectious disease - it now has broad application in many areas including oncology, inherited disorders, disease predisposition, immune function, and companion diagnostics within pharmacogenomics.
PCR techniques are a mainstay in molecular diagnostics due to their rapid and specific ability to detect targets of interest. RNA-based diagnostics employing reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) are used in detection of RNA viruses such as SARS, hepatitis C (HCV) and influenza (including H1N1), but also have application in the early detection and typing of some cancers. Real-time PCR is (RT-PCR) is commonly used in DNA-based diagnostics for detection of viral and bacterial DNA such as HPV and MRSA, and in genotyping of inherited disease-related alleles. Traditional end-point PCR is a requisite precursor to diagnostic applications enabled by sequencing and microarrays. Both RT-PCR and end-point approaches are heavily utilized for mutation analysis within cystic fibrosis (CFTR), p450 polymorphisms related to adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and typing of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) within organ transplantation to name a few examples.
Caliper collaborates with several companies involved in molecular diagnostic testing and consulting, including Seegene, Access Genetics and Gene Express Inc. Our products enable these and other molecular diagnostic laboratories to automate sample preparation for PCR, sequencing and microarray analysis while also ensuring the quality and traceability of results. The Sciclone® G3 Workstation and Zephyr® Molecular Biology Workstation are ideal for DNA and RNA extraction, purification, and reaction setup for RT-PCR and end-point PCR. In addition, Sciclone and Zephyr can be integrated with the Roche LightCycler and Twister II Plate Server for a complete, fully automated solution for RT-PCR applications. The LabChip® GX enables end-point PCR quantitation of DNA and RNA, as well as a powerful software suite and security package to ensure data integrity. In addition, integrated barcode capability also allows the tracking initiated at sample preparation to continue through analysis. The LabChip GX is also essential in determining DNA or RNA quality prior to sequencing and microarray experiments, providing sizing and quantitation results for hundreds of samples in just a few hours.
