Bio-Reference Laboratories Publishes Practical Tips on How to Optimize PCR Experiments for High Resolution Melt Analysis

Hercules, CA – May 20, 2011 –Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. today published two new Tech Notes that provide researchers practical guidelines on how to generate robust and reproducible high resolution melt (HRM) data.

HRM analysis is the qualitative analysis of a DNA fragment’s melt curve following PCR amplification. It is a simple, cost-effective, and rapid tool for studying genetic variation. HRM applications include single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, mutation scanning, methylation analysis, and species identification.

“A scientist with an HRM–enabled real-time PCR instrument and accompanying software can obtain reproducible and informative data for HRM analysis,” said Rachel Scott, Senior Product Manager for Bio-Rad. “The key lies in good reaction design and optimization, and these two Tech Notes show researchers exactly how to accomplish this.”

Tech Note 6004 provides a checklist of experimental design considerations for ensuring that an HRM experiment generates reproducible and robust data. Many of these tips are related to qPCR assay optimization and others are specific to HRM analysis. The Tech Note details several important factors for success, ranging from reagent selection and DNA quality to selecting the correct-sized amplicon. The criteria for choosing HRM–compatible instrumentation and software are also described in the Tech Note.

Tech Note 6009 provides a real-world case study applying the HRM reaction optimization guidelines. The Tech Note illustrates that well optimized reactions are as important to obtaining confident HRM results as the temperature intervals at which the melt curve data is collected. They are also more important for success than the choice of specific qPCR platform.

The Tech Notes are available at http://bitly.com/technote6004 and http://bitly.com/technote6009 respectively.

About Bio-Rad

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) has remained at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. The company is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, and major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, California, and serves more than 100,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs more than 6,800 people globally and had revenues exceeding $1.9 billion in 2010. For more information, please visit www.bio-rad.com.

For more information contact:

Rachel Scott

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

510-741-6636

Rachel_Scott@bio-rad.com

Ken Li

Chempetitive Group

312-997-2436 x 109

kli@chempetitive.com

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