Launch of First Assay to Detect RNA and Protein Simultaneously in Millions of Single Cells 

eBioscience, an Affymetrix business, announces the availability of PrimeFlow™ RNA Assay, the first and only flow cytometry assay capable of simultaneous detection of RNA and protein within millions of cells at single-cell resolution. Current flow cytometry applications are limited to antibody-based interrogation of cell surface and intracellular proteins.  With the novel PrimeFlow assay, researchers can now incorporate the simultaneous analysis of RNA transcripts and proteins to elevate their understanding of single-cell dynamics. 

“Single-cell analysis is a rapidly growing field in biomedical research that yields an unprecedented level of information,” said Filippos Porichis, PhD, Director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard’s International Programs and first author of a newly published Nature Communications paper citing the use of RNA transcript with flow cytometry. “PrimeFlow RNA Assay enables high throughput detection of RNA and protein expression; therefore, it can be used to characterise, mechanistically and phenotypically, co-expression of RNAs with the functional proteins at the single-cell level. This assay, with a user-friendly protocol that has many similarities with standard antibody-staining procedures and data acquisition of flow cytometry, is an invaluable tool for any immunology lab performing translational research.”

“The major advantage of this technology is the ability to detect, with high sensitivity, mRNAs for which flow cytometry antibodies against the corresponding proteins perform poorly or are not available,” added Dr Daniel Kaufmann, Research and Clinical Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine, University of Montreal.  “Furthermore, the capability to directly measure non-coding RNAs, whose critical functional roles are increasingly recognised, in a heterogeneous cell population has vast potential applications in cell biology.”

“Single-cell gene expression assays, such as PrimeFlow RNA Assay, showcase one of the many exciting opportunities we have for integrating cell analysis and genomics, which open up new avenues for innovation and growth,” said Frank Witney, CEO and President of Affymetrix. “PrimeFlow RNA Assay represents the capabilities and expertise of eBioscience and Affymetrix brought together to enable the scientific community to advance the understanding and application of biology for a better world.”