| NEAT is a robust chemical reaction and paves the | | | | adverse environmental conditions. The minimal costs |
| way for the development of affordable point-of-care | | | | and reproducibility under extreme conditions make |
| diagnostic tests. The technology despite being | | | | this technology lucrative. |
| nascent, and in a state of development, has been | | | | This novel technology is now supported in-silico. |
| successfully deployed by life science research labs all | | | | PREMIER Biosoft has included support for the design |
| over the world for analyzing mRNA, microRNA, rRNA, | | | | of NEAT probes in one its products called AlleleID. |
| and genomic DNA. | | | | AlleleID is a Java based program that supports many |
| The NEAT technology works using small | | | | specialized assays such as NASBA®, MLPA, FRET, |
| oligonucleotides known as NEAT probes. NEAT | | | | splice variant arrays and now NEAT. |
| probes bind to the target nucleic acid sequence. A | | | | AlleleID supports the design of NEAT/QUAL probes |
| chemical ligation reaction is encoded in the probes. | | | | for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms, |
| NEAT probes, which remain stable in solution, produce | | | | mutations, copy number variations and supports |
| easily detectable ligation products upon exposure to | | | | identification of multiple genetic targets in a single |
| the target nucleic acid sequence. The nucleic acid acts | | | | assay. The software avoids designing NEAT probes in |
| as a catalyst for the chemical reaction and there is | | | | the regions that exhibit significant homology in |
| no need for controlling the reaction environment using | | | | addition to avoiding regions of low complexity and |
| expensive instruments such as thermal cyclers | | | | template structures. The software also generates a |
| NEAT technology has excellent reproducibility and can | | | | list of alternate NEAT designs to help choose probes |
| be used to amplify highly degraded nucleic acid | | | | that better meet experimental needs. The probes |
| samples. Researchers can now analyze genetic | | | | designed can be exported from AlleleID and can be |
| material from archived tissue samples and develop | | | | saved in spreadsheet programs such as MS Excel and |
| diagnostic tests easily. NEAT has been successfully | | | | OpenOffice. This functionality is useful for ordering |
| tested in third world and developing countries, under | | | | synthesis. |