Purification of Target Molecule before Amplification
The major limitation of current nucleic acid amplification assays is the sample processing step which is usually complex, time-consuming, and often does not eliminate interfering substances that can inhibit the amplification reaction. Target Capture is a proprietary sample-preparation technology, which partially purifies the target nucleic acid before the amplification process.
Oligonucleotides bound to magnetic particles specifically capture the targeted nucleic acid. The magnetic particles are pulled to the side of the tube by a magnet, and potential inhibitory substances are washed away. As a result, TC significantly reduces the inhibition rate and can increase assay sensitivity.
Target Capture also:
- Simplifies sample processing by eliminating centrifugation and chemical extraction steps.
- Allows the simultaneous targeting of multiple nucleic acid sequences
- Allows the use of large sample volumes
- Allows the use of a wide variety of samples such as cerebral spinal fluid and serum that are currently difficult to amplify.
- Increases specificity because the nucleic acid targets are purified before amplification.
