Flow cytometry, with its ability to acquire and analyze millions of individual single cells simultaneously, to use multiplexing capabilities and to detect both cell surface and intracellular proteins in a straightforward workflow, has long been the standard for characterizing heterogeneous cell populations. Nevertheless, flow cytometry is constrained by the availability and adequacy of antibodies to measure all analytes of interest. Non-coding RNA, messenger RNA, viral transcripts, unique model organisms, and targets for which antibody development is troublesome have not been able to utilize the power of flow cytometry, and have historically required that researchers conduct numerous disconnected experiments to analyze these cellular systems.
With the novel PrimeFlow® RNA Assay, scientists can now reveal the dynamics of RNA and protein expression simultaneously within millions of single cells. This assay employs a proprietary fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and branched DNA (bDNA) amplification technique for simultaneous detection of up to three RNA transcripts in a single cell using a standard flow cytometer. RNA detection may be combined with intracellular and cell surface antibody staining to elevate the understanding of single-cell dynamics to a new dimension.