Proligo Debuts Truesnp Primer Kits Based On Lna

Worldwide Biotech, April 1, 2002

Proligo LLC, Boulder, Colo., a subsidiary of Degussa AG, has introduced a new product line, TrueSNP(TM) primer kits based on Locked Nucleic Acids (LNA(TM)).

These kits are designed to be used for allele-specific PCR, targeting single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Inclusion of LNA into the primer imparts a significant reduction in false positives, a problem that has plagued allele-specific PCR in the past.

"TrueSNP(TM) primer kits will provide researchers with a set of high-specificity primers designed to genotype the SNP of their choice with reduced probability of illegitimate primer extension," said Andreas Wolter, Ph.D., vice president of research and development for Proligo. "The kit contains up to 10 primers, allowing the investigator to score the SNP on both the sense and antisense strands using the LNA-containing primers. A researcher can compare the LNA primer results with pure DNA primer data by purchasing the corresponding DNA primers."

"TrueSNP(TM) primer kits are the first of a series of new products containing LNA that Proligo will be providing to the genomics research market," said Joanna Money, Ph.D, vice president of sales and marketing for Proligo. "Researchers can easily custom design and purchase their TrueSNP(TM) primer kits through Proligo's web site, allowing them to receive their kit within a few days."

TrueSNP(TM) primer kits are available for purchase through Proligo's web site at www.proligo.com. The web site walks the researcher through the design of the primers needed for conducting allele-specific PCR against the SNP target of interest. Researchers can order primers to investigate the SNP of interest on both the sense and antisense strands as well as explore whether the template DNA is heterozygous or homozygous for a given allele.

Proligo also offers a TrueSNP(TM) Allele-Specific PCR Demo kit that is designed to allow performance optimization of TrueSNP(TM) primers for mismatch specificity compared with equivalent DNA controls. The kit contains a human genomic DNA sample and allele-specific primers, both pure DNA and with LNA-containing primers, directed against a SNP in the human prothrombin gene. This allows a researcher to observe how TrueSNP(TM) primers enhance allele-specific PCR in their own reaction system.

Proligo LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Degussa, is a leading supplier of value-added nucleic acid products to the genomics and genetic medicines industry. Proligo successfully transforms innovative intellectual property to high-quality products that fuel the genomics revolution. With manufacturing facilities in both North America and Europe, Proligo is ideally positioned to supply the global nucleic acids market. LNA oligonucleotides are produced by Proligo under license from Exiqon A/S of Denmark (exiqon@exiqon.com).

For more information, visit http://www.proligo.com or call 303/516 3136.