Online QPCR Tool

Sigma-Aldrich® announced that Sigma Life Science has released a new version of OligoArchitect™, the comprehensive, easy-to-use online tool for automated design of primers and probes for quantitative

real-time PCR assays. Powered by the industry standard Beacon Designer™ platform from PREMIER Biosoft, OligoArchitect is a free, robust design tool that complements Sigma Life Science’s portfolio of qPCR

probes, reagents, and oligonucleotide services. OligoArchitect simplifies compliance with Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines with new features, such as primer and probe homology searching, template secondary structure analysis, and by providing the ability to design across exon splice sites. Additional features include automatic retrieval of template sequences, visualization of the template with positional display of regions of interest, design quality ratings, and tools for alternative and multiplex designs.

“OligoArchitect was designed to empower both qPCR novices and experts to quickly design sophisticated and MIQE-compliant primers and probes without having to shuffle data between multiple tools,” said Tom Russell, Product Manager, Sigma Life Science. “Novices especially will appreciate OligoArchitect’s straightforward, learn-as-one-works design. If additional information is required, a guide to all parameters as well as consultative technical support are available.” OligoArchitect Online currently supports detection chemistries for both SYBR® Green I primers and dual-labelled probes, making it ideally suited to key applications in traditional PCR, endpoint genotyping, gene expression analysis, genomic copy number determination, allele discrimination, SNP detection, haplotyping, and multiplexing.