Roche Diagnostics Introduces The LightCycler 480 System
Cutting-edge gene analysis technology is now available in a high-throughput, microwell plate-based cycler format
Roche Diagnostics announced the commercial launch of the LightCycler 480 Real-Time PCR System. Combining speed with exceptional accuracy, the new system is a novel platform for gene-expression and mutation analysis. The compact yet versatile LightCycler 480 instrument can be interfaced with robotics to create an automated high-throughput solution. Based on innovative hardware and software, the LightCycler 480 Instrument will meet the needs of a broad range of scientific applications in genomics research. Beyond the sensitivity and accuracy provided by the established LightCycler System, the new LightCycler 480 Real-Time PCR Instrument allows for enhanced throughput - by doing many assays in parallel - and multiplexing (by doing several targets in one assay) capabilities.
"Supporting all current probe formats and applications in gene-expression and mutation analysis, the LightCycler 480 Instruments built-in versatility allows adaptation to future technological advances in genomic research," explains Dr. Volker Pfahlert, Head of Roche Applied Science, a business area of Roche Diagnostics. Key to the system's speed and accuracy are the all newly designed thermal block and optical systems which both ensure that samples are treated and analyzed identically and reproducibly irrespective of their relative position in the block.
Real-time PCR has become an established method in many molecular biology workflows, including gene expression analyses, genotyping and microarray validation studies. Over the past decade real-time PCR has progressed from a cutting-edge technology used by few experts to a popular and widely-used standard analytical method. It has experienced immense growth in terms of breadth of applications and achieved broad acceptance by the research community. In this context, the demand for high-throughput systems and the need for the integration of Real-Time PCR systems in automated workflows is growing. The expectations for speed and accuracy are equally high. With the new LightCycler 480 System, Roche Applied Science now launches a Real-Time PCR system that enables this technology to be used in medium- and high-throughput formats.
SOURCE: Roche Diagnostics