GeneChip™ HT Pico Kit

GeneChip™ HT Pico Kit (HT Pico Kit) is the most flexible and sensitive automated target preparation kit for accurate and precise analysis of genome-wide expression from as few as 10 cells (approximately 100 pg total RNA) from a wide range of sample types.* The HT Pico Kit can prepare samples and generate hybridization-ready targets with minimal hands-on time for use with gene-level expression arrays such as legacy 3' IVT, GeneChip Gene 1.0/1.1/2.0/2.1 ST arrays, and Clariom™ S arrays. Designed for use on the Beckman Coulter™ Biomek™ FXP Target Prep Expression (TPE) System, HT Pico Kit is capable of processing up to 96 samples in a single run.

Scalable, flexible and automated sample preparation for small quantities of RNA
• Preserve precious clinical samples and reveal the biology in small subpopulations of cells using as little as 100 pg of total RNA (approximately 10 cells).*

• Benefit from total flexibility with a single kit for key sample types:
   - Cultured cells
   - Fresh/fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues
   - Whole blood
• Eliminate the need for globin mRNA or ribosomal RNA reduction to decrease variability and simplify experimental workflows.
• Automate the protocol on the Biomek FXP Target Prep Express System to process 24 or 96 samples with minimal hands-on time.
• Perform robust gene-level expression profiling analysis with expression arrays such as 3' IVT, GeneChip Gene ST, and Clariom S arrays.

Uncover biology hidden in heterogeneous samples
Traditional genome-wide expression analysis requires RNA extracted from samples composed of a relatively large number of cells. However, the gene expression measurements derived from these samples represent averages that can potentially mask key differences between subpopulations of cells within the samples. To better understand the biological significance of these differences in gene expression, researchers are increasingly focused on characterizing and analyzing subpopulations of cells.

Modern technologies, including fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and laser-capture microdissection (LCM), enable the characterization and subsequent isolation of small populations of cells. However, due to the limited number of cells, these samples typically produce insufficient RNA to obtain robust expression data from microarrays or RNA sequencing. HT Pico Kit was developed specifically to process limited amounts of input RNA in an automated manner to enable researchers to perform robust gene-level analysis on expression arrays using just a few cells from a variety of sample types. The HT Pico Kit uses a reverse transcription priming method that primes at the poly-A tail as well as throughout the entire length of RNA to ensure unbiased coverage of the transcriptome.

Maximize the value of precious samples
Many samples, such as those derived from biopsies, are highly precious because they are unique or otherwise irreplaceable. When working with these precious samples, researchers must focus on preserving the maximum amount of each sample for future experiments. With HT Pico Kit, researchers can use as few as 100 pg total RNA to generate robust and reproducible genome-wide expression data from microarrays, which ensures that the majority of the sample is preserved for future use.

Process multiple sample types
Studies often require the analysis of samples derived from multiple types of tissues. Cancer research, for example, commonly involves the comparison of samples derived from fresh-frozen tissues and from FFPE tissues. Usually, it is necessary to use different kits to process different sample types, which increases the complexity of the experimental workflow and introduces unwanted variation into the data. HT Pico Kit can be used to process the majority of sample types used in basic and translational research, streamlining the experimental workflow and eliminating variability due to different target preparation methods.

Scale up sample preparation with minimal hands-on time
This high-throughput (HT) solution enables the user to generate hybridization-ready targets from limited RNA with minimal hands-on time. Used in combination with optimized protocols on the Beckman Coulter Biomek FXP Target Prep Express (TPE) System, HT Pico Kit is capable of processing up to 96 samples in a single run.

*The recommended amount of total RNA from fresh-frozen cells or tissues is 500 pg-10 ng, and the recommended amount of total RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues is 2 ng-50 ng.