NanoString Technologies

The nCounter Analysis System uses a powerful and flexible technology that enables the expression profiling of hundreds of genes in a single reaction. There are several elements of the technology that enable its use across different sample types, biological applications and market segments.

The nCounter Analysis System was designed to be easy to use. After a simple hybridization step that takes less than 10 minutes to set up, the subsequent sample processing is fully automated. The throughput of the system is flexible and can accommodate any workflow needs. These features make the nCounter Analysis system ideal for large and small research facilities as well as applied clinical laboratories.

The nCounter technology is elegant, robust and simple. Because the system does not require any enzymatic reactions, a wide variety of sample types can be used including total RNA, cell lysates, blood lysates and FFPE samples.

The nCounter technology can be customized and offers true multiplexing capability compared to parallel processing offered by QPCR. You can study the genes that you want in a single reaction performed in a single tube—with excellent levels of sensitivity and reproducibility. This makes the technology ideally suited as a downstream validation tool for Microarray, Next Generation Sequencing or Biomarker studies.

The probe design flexibility and multiplexing capability creates the opportunity to apply this technology in interesting new fields of biology. Applications that can be addressed today are gene expression of defined gene sets (e.g. signature profiling), splice variation analysis, pathway analysis, fusion transcript expression and pathogen identification.

NanoString scientists are working on new ways to apply the technology.