Stem cells exhibit unique molecular profiles that are characteristic of cell state, cell type and disease. Gene expression analysis (the quantitative & qualitative measurement of mRNA) allows researchers to investigate several biological activities:

• Rapid turnaround time with results in less than 4 hours.
• Highly sensitive to detect down to 1 colony-forming unit in x mls of cell lysate.
• Sequence-specific PCR primers and probes ensures greater discrimination in detecting target pathogens in complex biological samples.
• Simplified workflow with one standard protocol for multiple organisms.

The TaqMan® Real-Time PCR system is a rapid, sensitive and quantitative method to measure the up and down regulated genes in as little as 1 colony-forming unit. The TaqMan Gene Expression Assays workflow is fully integrated and comprised of five major steps:

• Isolate: Use fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) to enrich the cell population.
  
  
• Lysis and RT: The TaqMan® Gene Expression Cells-to-CT™ Kit is a rapid lysis solution for cultured stem cells (10-100,000 cells/sample) that integrates cell lysis and reverse transcription into a single tube. For limited sample, such as single cell analysis, TaqMan® PreAmp Cells-to-CT™ Kit utilizes an intermediate, multiplex pre-amplification step for up to 100 target genes.
  
  
• Amplification: The human and mouse TaqMan® Stem Cell Pluripotency Arrays are comprised of 90 biologically validated stem cell markers and 6 endogenous controls to characterize undifferentiated stem cells or their derivatives. To characterize embryonic or lineage-specific stem cells or assess gene targets in specific pathways, Applied Biosystems offers TaqMan® Gene Expression Assays for 160 commonly-used stem cell differentiation markers. The TaqMan® Gene Expression Master Mix (included with the TaqMan® Cells-to-CT™ kits) has been validated with the TaqMan Gene Expression Assays to ensure reliable quantitation.
  
  
• Quantitation: The TaqMan® Gene Expression Assays workflow is compatible with Applied Biosystems Real-Time PCR Instruments, including the 7300, 7500, 7500 Fast, 7900HT Fast, StepOne™ and StepOnePlus™ Real-Time PCR Systems.

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