Universal RNA Reference Materials for Gene Expression

Published

October 12, 2021

Author(s)

M Cronin, K Ghosh, F Sistare, J Quackenbush, V L. Vilker, C D. O'Connell

Abstract

A NIST sponsored workshop entitled Metrology and Standards Needs for Gene Expression Technologies: Universal RNA Standards was held on March 28-29, 2003 to define the need for standardization of the biological component of RNA based molecular assays specifically microarray and quantitative RT-PCR gene expression technologies. Primary goals of the workshop included raising awareness at NIST and in the gene expression community to specific areas of need for reference standards in this developing field of investigation. NIST traditionally supports industry by developing the measurements, models, data and standards needed to accelerate the commercialization of products and to ensure product quality and integrity [p1]. (NIST contributions are especially important in highly interdisciplinary and highly com0petitive areas such as health competitive areas such as health care and biotechnology. In the 2003 Annual Report of the NIST Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, the committee acknowledges the need for measurement expertise in the RNA-based gene expression area of clinical diagnostics [2]. Concomitantly, they are urging NIST to play a greater role in this important area because The next generation of diagnostics, array-based diagnostics, where one is looking for patterns of markers, is complex. The quality of these arrays is now largely suspect. Whole clinical trials have been declared useless because of inadequate measurement control. RT-PCR, on the other hand, is already present in the clinic, especially in infectious disease diagnosis where it is used to quantitate the viral load of RNA viruses such as HIV. Nevertheless, as RT-PCR expands in application to include more complex expression profiling, standards similar to those needed for array based RNA analyses will be required.

Citation

Clinical Chemistry

Volume

58

Issue

8

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

standards, universal RNA, workshop

Citation

Cronin, M. , Ghosh, K. , Sistare, F. , Quackenbush, J. , Vilker, V. and O'Connell, C. (2021), Universal RNA Reference Materials for Gene Expression, Clinical Chemistry (Accessed December 11, 2024)