RainDance Targeted Sequencing System

The RainDance Targeted Sequencing System enables users to apply the familiar gold-standard PCR technique at higher throughput using any next-generation sequencer. The complete targeted sequencing system includes automated instrumentation, a sophisticated primer design pipeline and high-quality consumables and reagents.

The picodroplet-based platform generates millions of single-plex PCR reactions. A genomic DNA sample is combined with a primer droplet from a primer panel on a smart consumable microfluidic chip. In less than 1 h, up to 2 million pL-sized PCR droplets per sample are produced - each of which represents a single molecule PCR reaction. This creates a highly uniform PCR product and eliminates bias found in traditional multiplexed PCR reactions. The combined droplets are collected in a single tube and thermal cycled and sequenced on next-generation platforms.

A number of defined content primer panels are available, ranging from oncology to pharmacology gene targeting. In addition, custom panels can also be easily created to suit the user’s application. Each panel can consist of hundreds of primer pairs and each primer pair is designed using RainDance’s in silico primer design that achieves design coverage greater than 99% to the target region of interest. This level of specificity provides the ability to target repetitive and homologous regions of the genome that cannot be targeted by hybridisation methods.