TaqMan™ Cells-to-CT™ Express Kit

The TaqMan™ Cells-to-CT™ Express Kit enables rapid, reproducible gene expression analysis directly from cultured cells—allowing you to skip RNA extraction entirely. By removing extraction steps, the workflow reduces sample loss, shortens time to results, and improves consistency across experiments and operators.

Using five optimized components—Express Lysis Buffer, Express ezDNase, Express RT Master Mix, RT controls, and TaqMan™ Fast Advanced Master Mix—the kit supports sensitive RT-qPCR with results in approximately 70 minutes. This streamlined approach is well-suited for applications ranging from assay development and target validation to high-throughput screening and routine gene expression analysis.

This workflow is particularly valuable when RNA purification introduces variability, limits throughput, or results in sample loss—such as with low-input samples, time-sensitive studies, or scaled experimental designs.

Key Benefits

• Skip RNA extraction entirely → reduce workflow time and sample loss
• Rapid turnaround → ~5-minute sample prep and ~70-minute time to results
• High sensitivity → detects low-abundance transcripts with confidence
• Scalable workflow → supports manual use through automated, high-density formats
• Broad assay compatibility → works with 700,000+ TaqMan™ Gene Expression Assays
• Reduced variability → fewer steps, less hands-on time, and lower plastic usage

Complete Cell Lysate Workflow with No RNA Purification

The Cells-to-CT™ Express Kit simplifies gene expression analysis by eliminating the need for spin columns, centrifugation, and RNA purification—enabling labs to skip extraction entirely. Cells are lysed and treated for genomic DNA removal in approximately 5 minutes at room temperature, after which lysates are used directly for reverse transcription and qPCR.

This streamlined workflow reduces processing time while maintaining RNA integrity, enabling reliable gene expression data generation in a fraction of the time required for traditional extraction-based methods.

Optimized for Reproducibility

The kit combines five optimized reagents into a cohesive workflow that delivers consistent, reproducible performance without additional cleanup or stop solutions. Supporting direct lysis of 10 to 100,000 cells, the system accommodates a wide range of sample inputs while maintaining reliable results across experiments.

Lysates can be processed immediately for reverse transcription and analyzed using TaqMan™ Gene Expression Assays, enabling standardized performance across users, experiments, and lab environments.

Scalable, Automation-Compatible Workflow

Built to support evolving lab needs, the Cells-to-CT™ Express workflow enables seamless scalability—from low-throughput method development to high-throughput screening and routine testing. The simplified, extraction-free protocol reduces sample handling and eliminates transfer steps, making it easy to implement manually or integrate into automated liquid handling systems.

Compatible with 96- and 384-well plate formats, the workflow allows labs to scale experiments without modifying protocols or introducing additional variability. Fewer pipetting steps and reduced plastic usage help maintain consistent performance across different volumes, operators, and lab environments.

With compatibility across 700,000+ TaqMan™ Gene Expression Assays, the system supports flexible study design and expansion, enabling teams to move from pilot studies to larger-scale experiments with confidence.

High Sensitivity vs. Traditional RNA Extraction

Cells-to-CT™ Express delivers sensitivity comparable to or exceeding column-based RNA purification methods, while significantly reducing workflow complexity. By supporting up to 45% lysate input in RT reactions and up to 45% cDNA input in qPCR, the system maximizes detection of low-abundance transcripts without RNA concentration steps.