qPCR apparatus for a multidisciplinary core platform

实时荧光定量PCR是一种广泛应用于分子生物学、病毒学、法医学、生态学、发育生物学等生物科学领域的分析方法。最近，实时荧光定量PCR作为COVID-19检测的基石在世界范围内引起了公众的关注。三河渡江大学将其细胞生物学分析仪器整合到一个核心技术平台中，该平台包括共聚焦显微镜、荧光细胞分选器和先进的图像分析软件等设备。该平台还具有双通道qPCR装置，最初是为一个实验室购买的。由于大量雇用年轻的教授和学生，以及旧的qPCR仪器已经过时的事实，这种双通道qPCR仪器现在被近70 HQP使用。因此，目前的qPCR显然被过度使用，尽管有保留机制，但它的不可用性限制了学生项目的进展。更重要的是，它只有双通道检测的事实限制了它在有限应用范围内的使用。例如，它不能用于大多数法医应用，这些应用通常需要多色TaqMan探针、COVID-19测试（3-4色），也不能用于大多数等位基因检测实验。因此，要实现目前由NSERC资助的尖端项目，提高近100个hqp的研究可能性和时间表，需要一种更先进的4+色技术。

Quantitative real-time PCR is a widely used analytical method in biological sciences, such as molecular biology, virology, forensic science, ecology, developmental biology and many more. Recently, quantitative real-time PCR has raised to public awareness as the cornerstone of COVID-19 testing throughout the world. The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivieres has regrouped several of its analytical instruments in cellular biology within a core technological platform which includes, among other equipment, a confocal microscope, fluorescent cell sorters and an advanced image analysis software. The platform also features a dual channel qPCR apparatus, which was initially purchased for one laboratory. Due to a massive hiring of young professors and students and the fact that an older qPCR apparatus has become obsolete, this dual channel qPCR apparatus is now used by nearly 70 HQP. The current qPCR is thus clearly overused and despite a reservation mechanism, its unavailability is restricting the progression of students' projects. More importantly, the fact that it has only a dual channel detection restricts its use to a limited range of applications. For example, it cannot be used for most forensic applications, which often require multiple colors TaqMan probes, COVID-19 testing (3-4 colors), and for most allele detection experiments. A more advance technology having 4+ colors is thus required to realize cutting-edge projects currently funded by NSERC and to improve the research possibilities and timeline of nearly 100 HQPs.