MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and CORALVILLE, Iowa, April 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Takara Bio USA, Inc. (TBUSA, formerly Clontech Laboratories, Inc.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., and Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) today announced a new collaboration to support targeted RNA sequencing. This relationship will leverage IDT's unrivalled proficiency in the manufacture and quality control of long oligonucleotides and TBUSA's expertise in developing low-input solutions for next-generation sequencing (NGS) applications under the Clontech® brand.

TBUSA and IDT have a mutual interest in facilitating targeted sequencing of the transcriptome. Data obtained from analyzing RNA will provide scientists with more information than can be gained from looking at the genome alone. Through this collaboration, the companies will explore probe design and kits for low-input, targeted RNA-seq applications. "We are proud to announce this collaboration with IDT, the world leader in high quality oligonucleotide design and synthesis. IDT's unique approach to probe synthesis delivers improved sequencing performance by providing deeper, more uniform coverage of targeted regions. This partnership leverages the companies' expertise and complementary strengths in order to develop innovative RNA-seq solutions to answer important biological questions," said Lorna Neilson, Ph.D., Director, Corporate Development at TBUSA. "We believe that RNA-seq holds great promise for medical research and diagnostics, as well as for identification of novel therapeutic targets. For example, the technique can be used to correlate changes in gene expression with disease initiation and progression, and identify other transcriptomic changes that drive diseases such as cancer."

John Havens, Vice-President of Business Development at IDT, said, "We are excited to partner with TBUSA to develop this product that will be of immense benefit to genomics research, helping scientists to resolve questions unanswered by genome sequencing. RNA-seq allows identification of changes in the transcriptome, including gene fusion events, allele-specific expression, and alternative splicing, factors that influence human disease. Our unique, individually synthesized and quality controlled products for targeted DNA sequencing have been enthusiastically received by researchers all over the world. This RNA-seq solution, which leverages IDT's expertise in manufacturing long, high-fidelity oligonucleotides, will be a welcome addition to our expanding portfolio of NGS products."

RNA-seq is currently the most sensitive method for analyzing the transcriptome. A low-input solution for targeted RNA-seq will enable scientists to identify and characterize rare transcripts in the small samples typically available from clinical specimens. Probe designs or kits resulting from this collaboration will provide a robust, cost-effective method for these studies.

About Takara Bio USA
Takara Bio USA, Inc. (formerly Clontech Laboratories, Inc.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of life science research reagents under the Takara®, Clontech®, and Cellartis® brands. Key products include SMART® cDNA synthesis kits for a variety of samples and applications, including NGS; high-performance qPCR and PCR reagents (including the Takara Ex Taq®, Takara LA Taq®, Titanium®, and Advantage® enzymes); Cellartis stem cells and stem cell reagents; RT enzymes and SMART library construction kits; the innovative In-Fusion® cloning system; Guide-it™ gene editing tools; Tet-based inducible gene expression systems; and Living Colors® fluorescent proteins. These and other products support applications including NGS; gene discovery, regulation, and function studies; protein expression and purification; RNAi, gene editing, and stem cell studies; and plant and food research. For more information, visit www.clontech.com. For specific information about Clontech NGS kits, please visit www.clontech.com/NGS.

About Takara Bio Inc.
Takara Bio Inc. is an innovative biotechnology company based in Shiga, Japan. As a world leader in biotechnology research and development, Takara Bio was the first company to market PCR technology in Japan and is also the developer of the RetroNectin® reagent, which is used as a world standard in gene therapy protocols. In addition to providing research reagents and equipment to the life science research market, Takara Bio has active research and product development activities in the fields of gene and cell-based therapy and agricultural biotechnology; and is committed to preventing disease and improving the quality of life for all people through the use of biotechnology. Through strategic alliances with other industry leaders, Takara Bio aims to extend its reach around the world. More information is available at www.takara-bio.com.

About IDT
Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (IDT), the global leader in nucleic acid synthesis, serving all areas of life sciences research and development, offers products for a broad range of genomics applications. IDT's primary business is the production of custom, synthetic nucleic acids for molecular biology applications, including qPCR, next generation sequencing, synthetic biology, and functional genomics. With manufacturing facilities in the United States, Belgium, and Singapore, IDT synthesizes more than 55,000 custom oligonucleotides per day for over 85,000 customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.idtdna.com and follow IDT on Twitter @idtdna. For specific information about NGS target capture products from IDT, visit www.idtdna.com/xgen.

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SOURCE Takara Bio USA, Inc.

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