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How do I calibrate my instrument for the CAL Fluor® and Quasar® Dyes?

CAL Fluor® and Quasar® dye calibration standards are designed to improve the accuracy of signal detection in real-time thermal cyclers that require spectral calibration. They enable the instrument to store the fluorescence profile of each dye and control for channel cross-talk. Crosstalk is the bleed-through of fluorescent signal from a reporter into an adjacent filter or channel, an issue of particular concern in a multiplexed assay. Many qPCR machines are pre-calibrated for Cy™3 and Cy5 dyes. In those machines, no calibration is necessary to use our Quasar 570 (Cy3 alternative) and Quasar 670 (Cy5 alternative) dyes. To use our CAL Fluor dye labels, particularly in a multiplexing assay, certain real-time PCR instruments need to be calibrated to anticipate crosstalk. LGC Biosearch Technologies does not make available pure dyes. Instead, our calibration standards are formulated to better mimic a fluorescent probe under experimental conditions by covalently linking the dye to an oligo-thymidine (dT10).  A complete list of available Calibration and Reference Dyes is available through our website. Instructions to calibrate select qPCR machines are available in our Spectral Calibration Instructions.

How do you determine the brightness of a dye?

The absolute intensity of a dye is a product of the extinction coefficient and the quantum yield. We have not measured the quantum yield for our dyes as this value is highly dependent upon the local environment, including the buffer system used for the measurement. However, we do provide the extinction coefficients for dye modifications at their lambda max wavelength, and these values are available under the Technical Specs tabs of our Oligo Modifications webpages. While quantum yield and extinction coefficients both contribute to dye detectability, the principal determinant for Stellaris® RNA FISH assays is actually the instrument optics, including the excitation source, available filters, and quantum efficiency of the camera.

Which dyes are compatible with my thermal cycler?

LGC Biosearch Technologies offers many common fluorophores including FAM, HEX and TAMRA dyes, as well as our own proprietary dyes. Our CAL Fluor® and Quasar® dye series span the spectrum with emission wavelengths ranging from yellow to far-red, and represent alternatives to dyes such as VIC®, Cy™3, Texas Red, LC Red® 640, Cy5, and Cy5.5. For your convenience we have compiled a Multiplexing Dye Recommendations Chart outlining optimal dye combinations in select qPCR machines, as well as a Fluorophore & BHQ® Dye Selection Chart listing reporter-quencher pairings. In addition, you may use our Spectral Overlay Tool to visualize the absorption and emission spectra of multiple dyes together.

Does LGC Biosearch Technologies make Safety Data Sheets (SDS) available?

Safety Data Sheets (SDS), formerly referred to as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), are available for download under the Technical Specs or Related Info tabs found on most product webpages. If you are unable to access this document or need additional information, please contact our Technical Support team.

Where can I find usage information and chemical properties for Biosearch Technologies' products?

Product information sheets contain important usage information and chemical properties. You may download the product information sheets, by clicking on the appropriate link located under the Technical Specs tab of individual product pages. If for any reason you are unable to find what you need on our website, please e-mail our Technical Support team.

How should orders be placed for shipment to locations outside the United States?

LGC Biosearch Technologies maintains distribution agreements with partners in countries listed on our Distributors webpage. For all other countries, LGC Biosearch will ship internationally subject to local customs restrictions. All payments must be in US dollars.

Are there specific recommendations for performing 1-step RT-qPCR on RNA isolated from clinical samples?

PCRAMP-021

The nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) will most likely need to be purified from clinical samples due to sample/transport media specific inhibitors and RNAses. For example, for RNA purification, we recommend our sbeadex‚Ñ¢ Pathogen Nucleic Acid Purification Kit for optimal purification.

Do you have any recommendations for purifying DNA from difficult biological samples such as plant leaves and seeds before shearing?

NXGSEQ-003, NXGSEQ-004, 15300-1, NXGSEQ-001, NXGSEQ-002

No. We do not have any specific recommendations for DNA purification. However, the purified DNA should be high quality with A260/280 ratios above 1.8. The DNA should also be free of detectable RNA contamination. Prior to shearing/fragmentation, the purified DNA samples can be analysed on 0.7% agarose gel to check for sample degradation and RNA contamination.

Should I use electrocompetent or chemically competent cells to make my library?

We recommend using electrocompetent cells for library generation, because the transformation efficiency for electrocompetent cells is higher. Higher transformation efficiency preserves library diversity.

Can I use other dyes besides the Green Fluorescent Dye available in the LavaLAMP™ DNA Component Kit with Dye?

PCRAMP-009, PCRAMP-010, PCRAMP-007, PCRAMP-006

Yes. Syto-13 (Molecular Probes) and EvaGreen (Biotium) have both been tested with the LavaLAMP DNA Master Mix and they perform well.

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