How to Search For and Order TaqMan Assays

Search steps for predesigned TaqMan assays and arrays

1. Start at the Thermo Fisher homepage (www.thermofisher.com)
2. Click on "Popular" using the navigation menu at the top of the screen. From there, select 'TaqMan real-time PCR assays'. Alternatively, you can type in the direct URL thermofisher.com/taqman
3. Click "order predesigned assays" and start your search by entering keywords such as gene symbol or name, RefSeq number, or TaqMan Assay ID number.
4. Select a result set under the desired assay/array type (Figure 1).

Figure 1. A search result like the one shown above will be displayed if the search term applies to multiple assay/array types. The number of relevant assays or arrays will be displayed below the type and will link to the search result set for that type.

5. If desired, refine your search with filters (species, assay attributes, and more) (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Available filters for TaqMan Gene Expression assays.

When searching for TaqMan arrays, you can use any of the following types of keywords:

• Name of the panel (e.g., Human HedgeHog Pathway)
• Targets in the panel (e.g., GAPDH)
• Assay IDs in the panel (e.g., Hs99999901_s1)

We offer many tools to help you decide which gene expression assay is right for you:

• Recommended assay
• Product details
• More information
• Citations
• Cross reactivity filter

All TaqMan Assays are designed using our industry-leading bioinformatics design process and meet all of our high-quality-control specifications. For any given target, we compare all assays for that target and select the recommended assay for standard gene expression experiments that detects the maximum number of transcripts for the gene of interest. We also evaluate the assays based on the design criteria below with the recommended assay best meeting the criteria.

• Does not detect gene products with similar sequences (homologs)
• Is designed across an exon-exon junction
• Has a short amplicon, giving you a more efficient PCR reaction
• Does not detect off-target sequences, thus increasing the specificity of your reactions (off-target detection may happen when an assay hybridizes with a sequence that occurs more than once in the genome)
• Does not map to multiple genes, thus increasing the specificity of your experiment
• Does not target the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of transcripts, which can have variable sequences between transcripts

For any gene expression assay, details about the assay design and the detected transcripts are provided. Click on the assay ID to view the complete product information

These details include "Assay Design," which shows the location of primers and probes within the transcript's exon structure and is updated regularly (Figure 2).

Click the Assay ID (Figure 3a) to see "More information" about the assay (Figure 3b), including details to help you choose the best assay for your experiment. This section includes: 

• Underlying SNP information 
• When the assay maps to the same target as a gene expression microarray 
• When an assay may detect genomic DNA 

You can view the number of publications that cite the assay and a list of those publications in the assay search results (Figure 4).  For each assay ID, you can find the following publication-related information:

• Number of citations
• List of citations with links
• Rating based on publication data (as calculated by Bioz)

Filters are always available at the top of the search page to help you refine your search results. For gene expression results, there are multiple parameters to filter on, including cross reactivity.

The Cross Reactivity filter is used to check assays for cross-species reactivity for use in transgenic animal experiments.  When you select a species in the Cross Reactivity filter, the list of results will be updated such that any assays that may cross-react with the species selected will be excluded from the results.  Any assays that remain in the list will not exhibit species cross-reactivity and thus are suitable to use in a transgenic study.

To order a TaqMan Assay, two pieces of information are required:

1. Catalog number (SKU)
2. Assay ID

The catalog number for a TaqMan Assay is sequence-agnostic and defines other attributes of the assay, including:

• Assay type (e.g., gene expression)
• Size (e.g., small)
• Reporter dye (FAM or VIC)
• Stock type (inventoried or made-to-order)
• Primer concentration (standard or primer-limited)

The assay ID is a unique identifier for each assay designed either as part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s comprehensive collection of predesigned assays or as a custom assay using one of our custom assay design tools.

Use the TaqMan Assay search tool to search for an assay (see "Searching for predesigned TaqMan assays and arrays" above).

In the search result, the assay ID is highlighted in bold at the top of the assay result box.  The catalog number is listed on the right-hand side under price and will change if you make changes to the dye or size (Figure 1).

There are multiple ways to reorder an assay:

1. Assay search: use the TaqMan Assay search tool to search for the assay.  For the most efficient method, search by Assay ID and then click Add to cart.
2. Quick order: if you know the assay ID and catalog number, you can enter that information directly into the Quick Order form.  To access this form, go to www.thermofisher.com and click Quick Order at the far upper right of any page (Figure 2).

You can export search results by selecting the assays or arrays to be included using the checkboxes (Figure 1). In the box that appears after selecting one or more assays, you have the option to compare up to three products, add all selected items to the cart, export and download them as a list, or send them via email.

The exported files contain detailed information about the assays you have selected.  For example, gene expression assay export files will include the following information for each assay ID selected:

• Ordering Information (assay ID and catalog number)
• Availability (inventoried or made-to-order)
• Gene (gene symbol, gene name, gene alias)
• RefSeq and GenBank accession numbers
• Amplicon length

If you are exporting information for TaqMan Array products, you will get an xls file with a tab for each product you selected (identified by catalog number or array ID) and the assay layout information for each array.