Jan 5 2009
HTG, Inc., provider of the quantitative Nuclease Protection Assay (qNPA™) system and service partner for the life sciences industry, today announced the availability of a customizable qNPA™ ArrayPlate to measure microRNA (miRNA) or other small RNA molecules.
The customizable platform simplifies the workflow of gene expression analysis. It does not require the costly and time-consuming process of RNA extraction for measurement and it is highly precise and quantitative. qNPA measures the changes in gene expression due to the functional biology not as a consequence of the RNA extraction technique. Currently, most identified miRNAs can be measured with the qNPA ArrayPlate technology for human, rat, and mouse.
“HTG devised this functionality at the request of customers who have long sought a miRNA analysis solution that was quick, accurate, sensitive and reliable,” said TJ Johnson, president and CEO, HTG. “As such, HTG remains committed to enabling pharmaceutical and academic researchers to effectively screen drug compounds across hundreds to thousands of samples to help identify and move the most promising drug compounds through the research process.”
The new customizable qNPA ArrayPlate offering also allows researchers to measure miRNA and mRNA simultaneously in the same sample well, simplifying studies involving both micro and messenger RNA. The product is based on HTG’s proven qNPA ArrayPlate technology platform, which allows researchers to investigate a customized set of genes with greater precision than traditional microarrays.
HTG’s qNPA technology is used to carry out quantitative, multiplexed gene-based drug discovery programs, including target validation, HTS lead optimization, metabolism, toxicology and clinical development. HTG’s platform is highly flexible and designed for high throughput automation; it allows scientists to test any sample, including fixed tissues, without RNA extraction or target amplification. The technology is ideal for detecting small yet important changes in gene expression levels which other gene expression platforms cannot reliably detect.