Competent Cells

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Competent cells enable rapid, high efficiency transformations for recombinant plasmids. Standard E. coli strains are the most used in the laboratories. E. coli competent cells are reliable and suitable for cloning and expression experiments. These products of chemically competent cells generally achieve transformation frequencies >10⁸ colonies/µg of supercoiled plasmid DNA.

Housekeeping Genes

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Housekeeping genes are reference genes for relative quantification. Housekeeping genes are a large group of genes that encode proteins whose activities are usually essential for the maintenance of the cell functions. Due to the similar and essential role of these genes for cell viability, it was generally assumed that these genes are expressed in different cell types at similar levels. When choosing housekeeping gene as reference gene for the relative quantification, one has to find a housekeeping gene acceptable for the investigated system.

How to choose the best housekeeping gene for the reaction? Eight housekeeping genes in HC-QUEST quantistrip differ in both, efficiency of the reaction and “Ct – point”, in which the fluorescence signal is first recorded as statistically significant above background. Correctly selected housekeeping gene has the same (or very similar) efficiency of the reaction and similar value of Ct.

Using HC-QUEST quantistrip, one can select right housekeeping gene after running tested sample with eight different housekeeping genes. Values of efficiency and Ct are then compared and a user can order only the best-working housekeeping gene separately.

Hot-Start Oligos

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Hot-Start Oligos are typically special shelf oligonucleotides having several features: they are ready to be dispatched the same day after obtaining your order, they are usually much cheaper than an oligo synthesized as current custom oligo (especially 3´ degenerated oligos or labelled ones), most of them are HPLC purified, and last but not least, they come to you aliquoted. Your only task is to dissolve one of the aliquots and use it. We recommend that the other dried aliquots be stored in a freezer, as well as the rest of the dissolved oligo.