Bio-Rad Introduces an Assay Website That Allows Researchers to Identify or Design Their Own Droplet Digital™ PCR Assays

HERCULES, CA, UNITED STATES - Aug 9, 2016 - Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) today announced the launch of an assay website that allows droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) users to locate existing assays or design new ones for mutation detection and copy number determination.

A critical aspect to the success of a ddPCR experiment is the use of a well-designed assay, which requires careful selection of PCR primers and probes specific to the gene of interest. Many factors influence assay design, such as amplicon length, GC content, sequence specificity, and melting temperature, all of which impact the final target sequence, primers, and probes. Flawed assay design can result in laborious testing and optimization, which may take several iterations.

Bio-Rads ddPCR assay website takes the guesswork out of ddPCR assay design and expands the portfolio of assays already available to ddPCR users. The website enables users to instantly design assays for any target of interest or order preexisting mutation detection and copy number determination assays.

The portfolio of preexisting assays includes nearly 1,000 wet-lab validated assays guaranteed to work when properly used and more than 2,500 predesigned assays that employ the same design criteria to deliver reliable and robust ddPCR results. Assays that have not been predesigned and/or validated can be designed in real time through the website and will include protocols to help users optimize their results for a high rate of success. Detailed information is provided for each assay, including the MIQE context sequence, amplicon length, compatible restriction enzymes, and recommended copy number variation reference assays.

Extending customer convenience further, Bio-Rad will also offer a combined assay format for mutation detection that includes both mutant and wild-type assays in a single tube. This format eliminates the potential for user error when assays are manually combined.

Additional benefits of Bio-Rads new assay design website include:

Comprehensive analysis of assay specificity - perform sequence alignment to human, mouse, or rat reference genomes
Multiple fluorophore options - choose either FAM or HEX probes for copy number determination assays
Assay validation tools - order positive-control DNA for mutation detection assays

For more information about the new Droplet Digital PCR assay design website, please visit www.bio-rad.com/digital-assays.

About Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of innovative products and solutions for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. The company is renowned for its commitment to quality and customer service among university and research institutions, hospitals, public health and commercial laboratories, as well as the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and food safety industries. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is based in Hercules, California, and serves more than 100,000 research and healthcare industry customers through its global network of operations. The company employs over 7,800 people worldwide and had revenues exceeding $2 billion in 2015. For more information, please visit www.bio-rad.com.

For more information contact:
Viresh Patel
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
925-474-8602
viresh_patel@bio-rad.com

Ken Li
Chempetitive Group
312-532-4675
kli@chempetitive.com