Zymo Research Corporation, also known as "The Epigenetics Company", is a privately held company serving the academic and biopharmaceutical scientific communities by providing DNA and RNA purification products, will launch its Quick-cfRNA Serum & Plasma Kit, which is currently in beta test, at ASHG 2016.

Genetic researchers who need a reliable and robust method to purify cell-free RNA (cfRNA) from up to 1 ml of plasma, serum, or other biological fluids can use the Quick-cfRNA Serum & Plasma Kit. Isolated RNA is immediately ready for sensitive downstream applications including RT-qPCR and Next Generation Sequencing. The kit enables simple, reliable, and efficient preparation of high-quality circulating cell-free RNA (including protein-bound, exosomal, miRNA and other small RNAs) from serum, plasma, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and other biological fluids. Cell-free RNA naturally occurs in blood and has clinical significance. It is becoming a promising tool for non-invasive and cost effective detection of cancer and other diseases.

In addition to the new Quick-cfRNA Serum & Plasma Kit, Zymo Research will also be showing its Quick-cfDNA Serum & Plasma Kit. Investigators are finding that increased rates of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from tumours can be used as a biomarker source for early cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of cancer therapy. Zymo Research's Quick-cfDNA Serum & Plasma Kit can be used for biomarker discovery and advanced liquid biopsy research. Liquid biopsies typically screen for free-floating pieces of DNA or RNA from cancerous cells found in the bloodstream. Researchers will capture a biological sample, such as blood or serum for disease analysis, and use that sample for a range of research applications such as RT-PCR, digital PCR, and Next Generation Sequencing. Translational genomic research is utilizing cfDNA to monitor personalized therapies based on specific tumour profiles. For these applications it is critical to recover total DNA. Zymo's Quick-cfDNA™ Serum & Plasma Kit uses a combination of chemical and enzymatic methods to efficiently recover total DNA (including cell-free apoptotic, necrotic, mitochondrial and viral DNA) linearly from up to 10 ml of sample.

Zymo Research's Zymo-Spin technology is featured in both kits. Its unique spin-column design allows for ultra-pure DNA or RNA to be eluted in as little as 35 µl of water. The resulting DNA or RNA is suitable for all subsequent analyses and molecular manipulations, such as qPCR, Next Generation Sequencing, and DNA methylation analyses.