Molecular Instruments

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Fully Automated HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH on the BOND RX and BOND RXm Research Staining Platforms by Leica Biosystems

Molecular Instruments® (MI) develops and synthesizes kits powered by its innovative HCR™ platform for bioimaging applications in academic research, drug development, and clinical pathology and diagnostics. MI offers products for automated and manual chromogenic and fluorescence in situ hybridization (ISH) assays, featuring a protease-free workflow, native compatibility with existing IHC/IF assays, and straightforward image analysis.

Features and Benefits of Molecular Instruments’ Technology

Automated RNA Detection with HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH

  • Generate Results in a Single Workday: Stain up to 30 slides in 9 hours on the BOND RX and 11 hours on the BOND RXm using pre-loaded protocols.
  • One Protocol, Any RNA: Detect a variety of RNA targets, including microRNAs, splice junctions, lncRNA, and other challenging target types.
  • Plug-and-Play with IHC and IF: Combine HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH with existing IHC and IF protocols on the BOND RX and RXm for simultaneous detection of RNA and protein targets on the same slide.
  • Flexibility with Any Reporter: Order for use with BOND AP- or HRP-driven chromogens.
  • Dual Channel™ Validation: Gain added confidence in probe specificity with MI’s DCV service, ensuring accurate and reliable RNA detection.
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Revolutionizing RNA-ISH Workflows

  • Entirely Protease-Free: Preserve tissue morphology while integrating HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH into existing workflows without additional optimization, enabling easier downstream image analysis and interpretation
  • Thoughtfully Engineered: Image any RNA with no-fee custom probe design through our user-friendly assay designer
  • Effortless Setup: Begin your experiments seamlessly with free, comprehensive Starter Kits, intuitive Setup Guides, and our customer-first approach to any kind of support inquiry
  • Proven Performance: Achieve reproducible, high-quality results with an assay designed to meet the rigorous standards of clinical-grade workflows
  • Built for Discovery: Expand the possibilities of multiplexed RNA and protein analysis with a versatile platform engineered to excel in even the most challenging research environments

Research Focus

From RNA to Protein: Understanding PD-L1 Expression in Tonsillar Immune Microenvironments with HCR™ Pro RNA-CISH and IHC

HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH enables high-resolution visualization of RNA expression within tissue sections, offering a powerful tool for studying immune cell dynamics. Here, PD-L1, a key immune checkpoint ligand, is explored as both an RNA (imaged in red) and protein (imaged in green) marker to investigate its expression patterns in normal human tonsil tissue.

 With its diverse immune cells and organized lymphoid structure, the normal tonsil is an ideal model for studying immune regulation. Detecting PD-L1 at both the RNA and protein levels within the same sample reveals the interplay between transcriptional activity and protein expression, shedding light on this critical marker’s role in immune homeostasis. 

This integrated RNA and IHC approach maximizes the use of valuable samples, enabling a comprehensive analysis of PD-L1’s spatial expression and functional dynamics. Such insights are essential for advancing our understanding of immune checkpoint biology in disease, paving the way for the development of more effective, targeted immunotherapies.

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Protease-Free HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH: Preserving Tissue Architecture for Seamless IHC/IF Co-detection

One of the key advantages of HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH is its protease-free nature, which preserves tissue morphology while maintaining high specificity for RNA detection. This makes it ideally suited for seamless integration with IHC and IF assays, allowing researchers to co-detect RNA and protein markers within the same tissue section, without compromising structural integrity. 

In this example, the use of an HCR™ Membrane Stain (imaged in green) highlights the precise segmentation of cellular membranes, enabling clear and distinct visualization of Ppib RNA (imaged in red) expression patterns along the cell boundaries. By combining HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH with IHC/IF assays, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of cellular interactions and gene expression patterns.

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Meet the Molecular Instruments Team

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Dr. Harry M.T. Choi

Founder & CEO

Harry, co-founder and CEO of MI, led 3 generations of HCR™ technology development at Caltech, exploiting new concepts from dynamic nucleic acid nanotechnology to overcome challenges to multiplexed quantitative bioimaging in thick, autofluorescent samples.

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Dr. Aneesh Acharya

Chief Commercial Officer

Aneesh is the Chief Commercial Officer at MI, bringing both commercialization experience from his work in the tech industry, but also technical expertise from his graduate work at Caltech developing platform technologies now used across HCR™ Gold and Pro products.

HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH Brochure

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FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not For Use In Diagnostic Procedures.