Applied Biosystems launches sequencing-based solution to advance whole transcriptome research

Applied Biosystems, a division of Life Technologies Corporation, has announced the launch of a new sequencing-based genomics tool to advance the analysis of whole transcriptomes. The SOLiD Whole Transcriptome Analysis Kit is the latest addition to a leading suite of reagents optimised for use with the SOLiD System. This new kit enables detailed characterisation of all expressed RNA in biological samples, allowing scientists to better understand a variety of cell types, such as stem cells and cancer cells.

The SOLiD Whole Transcriptome Analysis Kit provides researchers with an optimised, end-to-end solution that enables hypothesis-neutral analysis of gene expression profiles in the entire transcriptome – consisting of all the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules (or transcripts) produced in a cell or population of cells – and combines best-in-class Ambion reagents, from Life Technologies’ Invitrogen brand, with the SOLiD System, Applied Biosystems’ leading platform for next-generation genomic analysis.

This solution is capable of generating the highest number of sequence reads per run, enabling researchers to analyse multiple samples in a single experiment, while maintaining the highest levels of sensitivity to comprehensively characterise the transcriptome. The detection of all known and novel RNA present in biological samples is critical to understanding biological response to stimuli or environmental changes. This ultra high-throughput, sequencing-based approach has numerous advancements over alternative methods, such as traditional DNA microarrays, which are unable to detect RNA transcripts expressed at low levels, novel RNA transcripts or splice variants.

This approach to transcriptome analysis is being utilised by a team of scientists at the Beijing Institute of Genomics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They are using nine SOLiD Systems to explore the expression profiles of multiple tissues and cells from humans, mice, rice and microbes. The kit provides researchers greater insight into biological pathways and molecular mechanisms that regulate cell-fate decision, development and disease progression.

Dr. Songnian Hu, Assistant Director at Beijing Institute of Genomics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
“We recently utilised the whole transcriptome kit to sequence the entire transcriptome of mouse embryonic stem cells, and discovered that the sequencing-based method detected 30% more genes than a traditional microarray approach. Our SOLiD System data provided insights into the molecular mechanism of embryonic stem cell pluripotency, which is critical to understanding the differentiation of specific cell types, including cancer cells.”

Kip Miller, President of Life Technologies’ Genetic Systems Division
“We believe next-generation sequencing technology will replace the traditional microarray technology for whole transcriptome research projects within the next two years. The Applied Biosystems SOLiD technology offers an optimised, integrated solution for the advancement of whole transcriptome analysis, resulting in the highest number of reads per run, and providing researchers the required sensitivity to detect rare transcripts, as well as the flexibility to analyse multiple samples, to advance important cancer and stem cell research.”