GA-map® Discovery reagent kit is here!

Based on the proprietary GA-map® platform, our first Research use Only assay for comprehensive microbiota profiling is now available as a reagent kit.

Microbiome research made easy

In the past few decades, growing evidence for the microbiome’s influence on health has brought microbiome to the focus of clinical and industry research. Microbiome research is a growing field, and with an expectation of microbiome-based therapeutics and diagnostic solutions, comes an increasing need for standardized research tools.

Answering to that growing need, Genetic Analysis launches its first commercial reagent kit dedicated to microbiome research – the GA-map® Discovery. The assay is based on the proprietary GA-map® platform, a pre-targeted, probe based, molecular technology for detection of bacteria targets. In other words, GA-map® Discovery is a high multiplex assay enabling fast and standardized microbiota analysis. The assay consists of over 170 bacteria markers, targeting commensal and pathogenic bacteria typically found in the human gut and oral microbiota.

How to use GA-map® Discovery?

GA-map® Discovery can be used in any research project which incorporates microbiota profiling. The assay has been verified for mapping the bacteria composition in fecal and oral (saliva) samples. Potential uses include:

• Comparative microbiota studies (composition and diversity between individuals and within individuals)
• Longitudinal microbiota studies (how the composition changes overtime)
• Treatment response studies (does the microbiome influence treatment response?)
• Veterinary studies
• Population screening
• Basic research validation
• Biomarker/bacteria pattern discovery

The assay has the potential to reveal condition-specific biomarkers or sub-panels, which with the GA-map® platform’s ready-to-implement characteristics facilitates development of novel microbiome-based diagnostic solutions.

What makes the assay standardized?

At the core of our GA-map® microbiome assays, lies Luminex’s xMAP® technology – solid phase hybridization at the surface of the MagPlex® microspheres, followed by the fluorescence signal readout on a Luminex® 200™ instrument*. xMAP® is successfully incorporated in many biomarker assays, making it an innovative, yet perfect solution for standardizing multiplex microbiome assays.

In the assay development process, each marker is documented through extensive in silico and in vitro testing, which means that no additional data processing is necessary to reveal identity of the detected signals. GA-map® Discovery covers a range of bacteria spanning over 110 genera. The marker panel includes over 90 markers targeting bacteria on species level and over 70 markers covering groups of bacteria on genus or higher taxonomic levels.

You can download the complete target list here.

Multiple quality control checks integrated into the assay minimize the chance of discarding samples for technical reasons, and ensure high quality results, comparable between runs.

The assay performs exceptionally well in terms of repeatability (within run variation) and reproducibility (between run variation), achieving a total mean coefficient of variation of 1,34% (testing on synthetic sample providing template for each marker).

Try GA-map® Discovery in your laboratory!

GA-map® Discovery is an ideal solution for high throughput research laboratories. The assay targets over 170 different bacteria typical for gut and oral microbiota in a high multiplex reaction. Anchoring the assay on a highly standardized platform marks a new opportunity for benchmarking complex microbiota analyses.

*The assay is also compatible with FLEXMAP 3D® and xMAP INTELLIFLEX® systems.