The first aspect of any experiment looking at relative quantitation of gene expression should be the selection of endogenous control gene(s), to normalize for variations in sample input. The Applied Biosystems™ TaqMan™ Array Mouse Endogenous Control 96-well Plate contains 32 TaqMan™ Gene Expression Assays, plated in triplicate, that target genes that have been shown to be good candidates for such an experiment. The plate contains assays to 16 commonly used housekeeping genes. The panel also contains assays to 16 mouse orthologs of human genes that have been shown to be expressed constitutively and at moderate abundance across most test samples. Gene Signature Plates are 96-well plates that are pre-configured with the most appropriate TaqMan™ Gene Expression Assays for a specific biological process, pathway, or disease state. Each plate contains predefined assays and endogenous controls dried-down in the wells, ready for accurate assessment of an entire gene signature in one simple experiment.

• Affordable; minimum order of three plates; ideal for small, medium or large-sized projects
• Fast delivery; on your bench in days
• Convenient; dried PCR primer and TaqMan™ probe sets supplied in a 96- well plate; just add master mix and your sample
• Same TaqMan™Assay Quality, New Format

TaqMan™ Array Plates contain the same high quality TaqMan™ Gene Expression Assays (PCR primers and TaqMan™ probe sets) that have been commercially available for years in a convenient, dried, 96-well format. Extensive tests have found no difference in performance between TaqMan™Assays supplied in the traditional liquid format and assays dried into a TaqMan™ Array Plate. Figure 1 shows the results of an experiment comparing the linear range of the two formats, where no difference in performance was observed.

Just Add Master Mix and Sample, and Begin Cycling
Ideal for projects such as validation of microarray and RNAi data, and pathway studies, the plates include just the right amount of TaqMan™Assay in each well: enough for one 20 μl reaction. You can order as few as three Gene Signature Plates, making these an affordable option for many laboratories and minimizing the waste of unused individually purchased TaqMan™Assays. Save a significant amount of time setting up your experiments. Just add master mix and sample, and begin cycling.

Figure 2 is an example Plate Layout with Gene Symbols and Assay IDs

Plate Map Ensures Proper Data Labeling and Easy Re-Ordering
Each pack of TaqMan™ Array Plates is shipped with a CD containing the plate configuration map (see Figure 2) along with the details of each TaqMan™Assay. This information is imported into the real-time PCR instrument to enable proper labeling of experimental data and easy access to Assay ID numbers for simple reordering.

Simple to Use
Each TaqMan™ Array Plate well contains a single TaqMan™Assay for one 20 μl reaction. The plates can be stored at room temperature or at 4°C. When you are ready to run your assays, simply add PCR master mix and your cDNA sample, seal the plate, and begin cycling on a real-time PCR instrument.

Compatibility
TaqMan™ Array Plates have been optimized for use with TaqMan™ Gene Expression Master Mix, but are also compatible with TaqMan™ Universal PCR Master Mix. For studies using cultured cells, TaqMan™ Array Plates are also compatible (and recommended) with the TaqMan™ Gene Expression Cells-to-Ct™ Kit. TaqMan™ Array Plates must be run on a real-time PCR instrument with 96-well plate capability. The plates have been validated for use on Applied Biosystems™ 7000, 7300, 7500 and 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR Systems using standard 96-well blocks, standard PCR cycling conditions, and 20 μl reaction