Genotyping using single nucleotide polymorphisms or single sequence repeats, such as microsatellites, currently requires substantial upfront investment to yield an efficient system. Multiplex PCR utilizes several pairs of primers simultaneously to enrich DNA for a set of loci using a single PCR reaction. The new genotyping system and method may reduce the upfront investment and provide a rapid and less expensive way to obtain genotype data in any organism. It may also avoid the primary limiting factor of multiplex PCR, which is the primer dimer.
The new genotyping system and method is more flexible in terms of the type of genomic markers that can be evaluated, including SNP, STR (microsatellites), and longer DNA sequence variation. It can be used to obtain randomly distributed (unbiased) markers, or specific genomic regions. The number of regions targeted is also flexible. This may reduce the upfront development time compared to conventional genotyping techniques. Bioinformatic analyses of existing genomes or preliminary DNA sequence data can be conducted quickly to ascertain the most appropriate probes, which are nucleotides that are complementary to DNA target regions. The process may be conducted with little laboratory time.
Advantages:
- Fast
- Flexible
- Inexpensive
