QChip, a developer of microencapsulation solutions, has produced a new PCR tool which speeds up bacterial identification, with greater accuracy and less variability. Identification using the ReaX Assay 16S beads is based on PCR amplification of the widely used 16S ribosomal RNA gene.
In a comparative study of the identification of E coli and S aureus, the ReaX Assay 16S PCR beads generated identical PCR bands for each triplicate and for each organism, compared with conventional liquid-based PCR methods.
However, with the ReaX Assay 16S PCR beads less manual pipetting was required, with fewer opportunities for contamination, and reduced pipetting error was also observed, leading to less variability between reactions.
PCR reaction set-up using the ReaX Assay 16S beads required no prior optimisation and was quicker and more user-friendly to perform compared to conventional liquid-based PCR set-up.
For more information, visit www.q-chip.com
