Loading ...Many of the FlexMAP (now called xTAG) microsphere users relied on the TagIT software to help choose which microsphere sets to use in genetic detection assays run on the xMAP platform. When the TagIT software was removed these users no longer had a reliable way to design their assays. Well the good news is that TagIT is back!
Hitachi Software recently released a free software tool to automate the design of SNP genotyping assays using Allele Specific Primer Extension (ASPE) on the xMAP platform. The ASPE approach utilizes Luminex Corporation’s xTAG (formerly FlexMAP) microspheres which are pre-coupled to oligonucleotide sequences (anti-tags) that are optimized to be an isothermal set and to have minimum cross-reactivity. The detection probes have the tag sequence synthesized on the 5′ end. The use of the pre-coupled xTAG microspheres simplifies the assay greatly.
DNASIS MAX has the ability to search for homologous sequences to your sequence with Blast which is
useful in judging if the sequence is novel or even add annotations from known gene information. The following procedure guides you through utilizing Blast against an internal sequence database.
DNASIS MAX uses the Primer3 engine for designing primers, which is one of the most frequently used procedures in daily research. The following procedure guides you through designing primers utilizing the DNASIS MAX interface.
1. DNASIS SmartNote now shows a graphical view of any sequence annotations included in files imported from Entrez. To see it, click the “Details” link next to the sequence in the “My Sequences” view. Here’s what it looks like:
2. The xTAG Tool now lets you exclude certain bead regions. In addition, its results now also include tag and anti-tag sequences.