Applied Biosystems reveals new PCR assays

Applied Biosystems has announced the introduction of a new range of TaqMan real-time PCR assays, which it says will allow researchers to correlate relative levels of specific proteins with cell behaviours and functions.

These include different disease conditions, differentiation in stem cells or states or pluripotency.

According to Applied Biosystems, the line of tools, which will be released in August, will comprise six pre-designed protein expression assays.

Two of them will target commonly expressed proteins in a variety of cell types, while four are designed to target stem cell pluripotency markers.

Commenting on the move, Sam Raha, vice-president of Life Technologies’ Genomic Assays Business, said: "Our combined portfolio of TaqMan assays and real-time PCR systems will provide scientists with a more complete picture of the biology of living organisms."

He claimed the new technology is "innovative" and means the firm now has an expanded line of systems for genotyping that includes solutions for protein detection and quantitation.

Life Technologies was formed in November 2009, when Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen Corporation merged.