Huntington, W.Va. - Vandalia Research will be presenting the poster "Large-Scale PCR for Aptamer Identification" on May 9, 2007 from 9:00am - 12:00pm at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's 2007 meeting in Boston, MA. The poster was authored by Drs. Elizabeth Murray and Michael Norton of Vandalia Research, Inc., and Dr. Menashi Cohenford of Marshall University.

Aptamers are short DNA or RNA molecules which can bind specifically to small and large molecule targets. Aptamers can be identified by Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Amplification (SELEX). The SELEX method exposes a random oligonucleotide library to a specific target. Nucleic acids that bind the target are amplified and subjected to additional rounds of selection. 

Limitations to SELEX include:

• library size (typically only 10^15 molecules can be synthesized in a library);
• mispriming of the random library with >5-10 PCR amplification cycles, resulting in truncated or extended products;
• dropout of potentially strong aptamers that are not competitive in amplification. 

Recently, several researchers have developed non-SELEX methods of aptamer identification using capillary gel electrophoresis. However these methods are also limited by the quantity and randomness of the starting library material.

These barriers to aptamer identification are overcome using Vandalia Research Inc. Triathlon™ PCR amplification system. The Triathlon™'s continuous method for heating and cooling the PCR reagents facilitates processing liter scale volumes of PCR product without pooling products from multiple small tubes. This results in reduced labor, decreased turnaround time, and, most critically, a reduction in the number of opportunities for contamination.  The Triathlon™ can be used to produce large volumes of product amplified through only a limited number of cycles which can then be concentrated for SELEX or non-SELEX screening.

About Vandalia Research, Inc. - Vandalia Research, Inc. is a life sciences research company based in Huntington, West Virginia. Using its proprietary Triathlon technology, Vandalia Research is now capable of providing milligram and gram quantities of custom PCR-amplified DNA for a variety of applications, such as diagnostic standards, genetic therapy research, and custom probes. Working closely with customers allows Vandalia Research to respond rapidly to their novel applications for PCR products with a high-quality product and excellent turnaround time.

For more information, call (304) 529-0803 or visit the Vandalia Research website at www.vandaliaresearch.com.