Development of a high-capacity platform for genetic testing of crop and agricultural produce

Purpose and goal:

Aplex Bio´s aim with this project was to evaluate whether Hyperplex PCR (hpPCR) can be used in the field of agriculture and crops, as well as how an expansion of Aplex Bio´s product range can take place to approach this market. The first goal was a preliminary understanding of general needs and which methods are used, while the second goal was to develop a pilot concept to test on agricultural-related samples. From this study, a specific hpPCR offering could then be made to to meet ant demand in the sector.

Expected results and effects:

A newly developed concept of hpPCR for 20 genetic targets (20-plex) in the same sample was tested on wheat mRNA extractions, reducing the study´s theoretical 480 RT-qPCR reactions to 24 parallel hpPCR assays. The results showed a for the method statistically significant effect on gene expression in plants exposed to external stress. Potential implications of these results could, for example, be premade panels for different areas of the crop and agricultural sector in combination with tailored reagent kits.

Approach and implementation:

Various stakeholders in agriculture and food contributed to a preliminary requirements survey of what AplexBio´s hpPCR method needs to demonstrate. To meet these, hpPCR was further developed to a 20-plex version with a focus on specificity and dynamic range. The concept was tested on plant samples together with a Swedish university. The results demonstrated both how hpPCR can be scaled to higher multiplexity while also maintaining dynamic range in this application.