A new kit for RNA purification prior to microarray analysis was designed specifically for small samples and for particularly difficult to isolate targets such as subpopulations of cells within larger samples like those found in heterogeneous solid tumors or hematologic malignancies.

Traditional whole-transcriptome expression analysis depends on samples derived from a relatively large number of cells. However, the gene expression measurements from these large cell populations represent an average that can often mask key differences between subpopulations. To better understand the biological significance of these differences in gene expression, researchers are increasingly focusing on smaller, characterized subsets of cells.

To accommodate these researchers Affymetrix (Santa Clara, CA, USA) developed the GeneChip WT Pico Kit for gene expression array target preparation, which can be used with as little as 100 picograms of total RNA, the amount that can be obtained from about 10 cells.

The new WT Pico Kit is compatible with small sample isolation techniques, including flow cytometry, laser capture microdissection, and fine needle aspiration. The kit prepares targets from multiple sample types, including fresh and fresh frozen tissues, cultured cells, FFPE specimens, and whole blood samples without a globin mRNA reduction step.

“In addition to conserving samples and enabling analysis of samples that may only contain small amounts of RNA, the ability to zero in on smaller sets of cells can reveal information that is hidden in larger cell populations,” said Christian Reece, product manager at Affymetrix. “Cancer researchers working with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies are particularly interested at looking at smaller and smaller groups of cells.”

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