Frequently Asked Questions
Calculations
Does Eurofins MWG Operon have a tool I can use to analyze my oligos?
Yes, we have the
Oligo Analysis and Plotting Tool. This
is a comprehensive oligonucleotide analysis tool to help you plot complement, length,
gc content, melting temperature, molecular weight, extinction coefficient, and more.
What kind of calculations are used for oligo analysis?
The most common calculations are for Molecular Weight, Extinction Coefficient, Picomoles,
Micrograms, Concentration, Melting Temperature, and Annealing Temperature. Explainations
of these calculations can be found on our
Calculations Page.
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Chemistry
What chemistry does Eurofins MWG Operon use in oligonucleotide synthesis?
Eurofins MWG Operon uses the industry standard beta-cyanoethyl phosphoramidite chemistry.
This chemistry has been proven to be robust and to yield high-quality oligos. For
more information see our
Technology Page.
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Cloning
I used oligos for cloning, sequenced a clone and found a mutation within the
oligo sequence. Can mutations happen in synthetic oligos?
Mutations or alternations in sequence are rare in synthetic oligos but they can
happen. Oligos may become depurinated in some positions during the synthesis process.
The longer the oligonucleotide, the more depurinated sites may occur. These depurinations
may become visible in applications like cloning where single molecules are selected
and propagated. Typically the depurinated sites are replaced by any base. Usually
only some oligonucleotide molecules are affected. If you have sequenced only one
clone and found a 'mutation' in it, sequencing another independent clone will in
most cases result in the correct sequence. When choosing clones, it is most important
to select independent ones: To get independent clones, the pre-incubation time before
plating should be based on the manufacturer instructions of your cloning system.
Optimal density of the clones on the plate ensures that well separated clones can
be selected.
Longer oligos used for cloning should be purified to remove any truncated sequences.
As the risk of depurinations is increasing with the length of the oligonucleotide,
we recommend to select sequences for cloning that are as short as possible. If long
oligos (>40nt) have been used for cloning, consider increasing the number of
clones that need to be sequenced.
Please note that synthetic oligos do not contain a phosphate at the 5’end
which is necessary for enzymatic ligation reactions. The phosphate can be added
as a modification to the 5’end of the oligo.
If you find a 'mutation' in both clones please call
Eurofins MWG Operon Technical Support.
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Fluorescent Dyes
Do fluorescent dye-labeled oligos require special storage and handling?
Yes. Fluorescent dye-labeled oligos are more fragile than unmodified oligos. Their
ability to fluoresce will decrease over time. Before opening, spin the tube at 1000
rpm for 5 minutes to ensure the oligos are at the bottom of the tube. To ensure
high quality, store the oligo dry at -20°C in small aliquots. Note also that fluorescent
dye-labeled oligos should be stored in the dark as light can slowly degrade the
fluorescent moieties.
For optimal long-term storage, it is recommended that the labeled oligonucleotides
should be stored dry at -20°C in the dark. If numerous experiments are planned using
the same oligonucleotide, prepare aliquots, dry all aliquots, and store the aliquots
at -20°C. Use clean, sterile labware for all transfers.
How long will my fluorescent dye-labeled oligos last?
Fluorescent dye-labeled oligos can be used up to 6 months from purchase when stored
dried at -20°C in the dark.
How should I resuspend my fluorescent dye-labeled oligos?
Oligonucleotides labeled with fluorescent dyes, such as 6-FAM, HEX, TET, ROX, and
TAMRA should be resuspended in a slightly basic solution (e.g., TE at pH 8.0). Cy3,
Cy3.5, Cy5, and Cy5.5 labeled oligonucleotides should be resuspended at pH 7.0.
Cy3, Cy3.5, Cy5, and Cy5.5 begin to degrade at pH >7.0. If brought to a pH below
7, it has been shown that the oligo can begin to degrade and may be unusable within
a few weeks.
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Handling and Storage Procedures
Why are my oligos colored?
Synthetic oligos vary in appearance depending on a large number of factors. The
lyophilized oligo may appear dry or oily with a clear, white, or brownish color.
A colored product is not a sign of impurities and should not be a cause for concern.
All of Eurofins MWG Operon’s oligo products meet strict quality control standards
before being shipped to our customers.
How long will my oligos last and how should I store them?
Unmodified oligos are stable molecules and can be used for at least 12 months after
purchase when stored at -20°C. For long-term storage, oligos should be stored dry
at -20°C. If numerous experiments are planned using the same sequence, aliquot the
sample, dry all aliquots, and store at -20°C. If the oligos are stored wet, avoid
repeated freeze-thaw cycles as this process can lead to physical degradation of
the oligo. Oligos generally last longer in TE than in water. Careful handling is
recommended to avoid the possibility contamination with nucleases or bacteria.
How should I resuspend my oligos?
Eurofins MWG Operon oligos are always shipped salt-free. Before opening, spin the
tube at 1000 rpm for 5 min to ensure that the oligonucleotides are at the bottom
of the tube. It is recommended that the oligonucleotides should be resuspended in
a sterile buffered solution (e.g., TE at pH 7.0). Please vortex your oligonucleotides
thoroughly after resuspension. The oligonucleotides may not readily dissolve in
sterile, distilled water. If NaOH is added to the water, the pH will rise to 7.0
and this should help. If the oligonucleotides are resuspended at pH <7.0 (deionized
water may have a pH as low as 5.0), the oligonucleotide could begin to degrade and
may lose functionality within a couple of weeks.
For optimal long-term storage, it is recommended that the oligonucleotides should
be stored dry at -20°C in the dark. If numerous experiments are planned using the
same oligonucleotide, prepare aliquots, dry them and store the aliquots at -20°C.
Use clean, sterile labware for all transfers.
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Maximum Length
What is the maximum length oligo offered by Eurofins MWG Operon?
The maximum length is 100 bases in the 10 µmol scale, 125 bases in the 1µmol and
0.2 µmol scales, 90 bases in the 50 nmol scale, and 60 bases in the 10 nmol scale.
Eurofins MWG Operon does not increase the per-base charge to make longer oligonucleotides.
For guaranteed yields based on length, scale, and purification see
Yield Specifications.
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OD Yield of Oligonucleotides / Quantification
How are oligonucleotides quantified?
Oligonucleotides are most commonly quantified by measuring their UV absorbance at
260 nm. A single-stranded oligonucleotide dissolved in a neutral aqueous solution
at a concentration of 33 µg/ml will have an absorbance at 260 nm of approximately
1.0 A.U. The optical density (OD) unit is defined as the absorbance (at 260 nm in
a 1 cm cuvette) multiplied by the sample volume (in milliliters), so that 1 OD unit
is roughly 33 µg of ssDNA.
Does Eurofins MWG Operon provide quantification of the oligos?
Yes. A yield card is provided with each oligo at no extra charge. For more information
and guanteed yields see
Yield Specifications.
Why does the yield differ between syntheses of the same sequence or length oligo?
The yield has many contributing factors. The primary reason why you might see different
yields for the same oligo is that the columns are not loaded with exactly the same
quantity of CPG. For example, a 50 nmol column will have a minimum of 50 nmols of
3' base available to start synthesis, but frequently has more than this amount.
Keep in mind this is the starting scale and not the final yield.
Why are my calculated yields lower than the ones provided by Eurofins MWG Operon?
The most common reason for this is that the oligos are not fully dissolved. If you
resuspended in water, you may need to add NaOH to raise the pH to between 7 and
8. Oligos resuspended in water tend to have a pH of around 5, and this is often
too low for them to completely dissolve. We recommend that most oligos be resuspended
in TE at pH 7. We find that 10 mM Tris-HCl, 1 mM EDTA works well, but if your experiment
cannot tolerate EDTA, you may use just Tris-HCl.
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PCR Problems
Why do I see extra bands in my PCR product?
Complementary primers can cause PCR artifacts, especially in control lanes (without
template). The primers anneal to each other and extend, sometimes creating large
products. The extra bands that appear in the control lane often disappear in the
presence of competing template. Depending on the degree of complementarity, raising
the annealing temperature may help if there are extra bands in other lanes.
Why did my PCR reaction stop working?
If your PCR reaction used to work and then stopped, the primers or template may
have become degraded. The primers can last up to 1 year if stored lyophilized and
aliquoted at -20°C. Freezing and thawing causes the primers to degrade. Primers
or template can also degrade due to contamination. Millipore filtration systems,
which require the filter to be changed periodically, can supply water of questionable
quality at the end of a cycle. If you are using a filter system, check to see if
your filter was changed soon after resuspending your oligos. You may want to consider
changing the filters more often if this is the case.
What are some design guidelines for PCR Primers and is there a tool to help
me with this?
Eurofins MWG Operon's Oligo Toolkit and Plotter displays
secondary structure as well as other useful information such as melting temperature,
GC content, etc. In PCR, it is important to design the two primers with similar
melting temperatures to ensure efficient annealing. There is a trade-off in PCR
primer design between sequence-specific primers and primer length. A primer needs
to be long enough to be specific for its target region, yet not too long since longer
primers are less efficient at annealing. It is also important to ensure that each
primer does not form hairpins or dimers with itself or the other PCR primer. Dimerization
and hairpin formation prevent the primers from participating in the amplification
reaction and may contribute to nonspecific products if a 3' overhang is formed.
Careful consideration should be given to avoid mis-priming. If the selected primer
shares homology with other areas of the target region, mis-priming can generate
multiple undesired PCR products. Note: The rules of primer design are based on theoretical
considerations. The true test of a primer’s function is its use in a functional
assay. Usually, a primer length of 18–30 bases is optimal for most PCR applications.
This is based on the complexity of the target template DNA. Theoretically, a primer
of 18 bases represents a unique DNA sequence amongst 418 = 7 x 1010 nucleotides
and should hybridize at only one position in most eukaryotic genomes which consist
of approximately 109–1010 base pairs. A shorter primer such as a 15mer would have
a greater chance of annealing at more than one complementary site within the genome.
This may lead to amplification of nonspecific PCR products. In contrast, when using
the same shorter primer with a less complex DNA template such as plasmid DNA, PCR
will only generate the specific PCR product.
Design Guidelines for Sequencing Primers
Eurofins MWG Operon strongly recommends the use of software to design DNA sequencing
primers. The
Oligo Toolkit and Plotter displays secondary
structure as well as other useful information such as melting temperature, GC content,
etc. For cycle sequencing, primer length should be between18 and 28 bases with a
GC content of at least 50%. The melting temperature of the primer should be between
50°C and 70°C. It is important to avoid selecting primers that form dimers or hairpins
as molecules in this conformation will not participate in primer template hybridization.
Additionally, if a 3' overhang is formed by a dimer or hairpin, the polymerase will
extend and form unwanted products.
Design Guidelines for Dual-Labeled Probes and Primers for 5' Nuclease Assay
Dual-labeled probes (fluorescence quencher or FQ probes) have a fluorescent reporter
and a quencher at their 5' and 3' ends, respectively. These probes can be used in
quantitative PCR systems that take advantage of the 5'–>3' exonuclease activity
of Taq DNA polymerase). A probe specific for the sequence of interest is used together
with specific PCR primers. This probe is designed to anneal between the PCR primers.
During the extension phase of PCR, the 5'–>3' exonuclease activity of Taq DNA
polymerase cleaves the fluorescent reporter from the probe. The amount of free reporter
accumulates as the number of PCR cycles increases. The fluorescent signal from the
free reporter is measured in real-time and allows quantification of the amount of
target sequence. There are several design considerations to keep in mind when designing
dual-labeled probes. Placement of the probe is important; the probe should be designed
first, followed by the design of the PCR primers. The probe should anneal near the
center of the amplicon, and the amplicon should be 50 to 150 bases long. The probe’s
melting temperature should be 68°C to 70°C. The probe should be at least 20 bases
long to prevent nonspecific annealing. Finally, avoid designing the probe with a
dG at the 5' terminus as dG is a weak quencher. Any dG in the primer should be at
least 2 residues away from the 5' terminus.
Probe:
G-C Content: 30-80%
polyNNN: Avoid stretches same nucleotide, especially 4 or more Gs
End Composition: No Gs at 5' end
Tm: 68-70°C
Strand: Select strand with more Cs than Gs. If the compliment is used, make sure
there are no Cs at the 3' end.
Length: Less than 30 bp
Design: Quencher on 3' end dye on 5' end
Primer:
G-C Content: 30-80%
polyNNN: Avoid stretches of same nucleotide, especially 4 or more Gs
End Composition: 5 bases at 3' end should have no more than 2 G/Cs. Try to use As
at 3' end so primer dimers will be degraded more efficiently.
Tm: 58-60°C
Product: 50 to 150 bases
Design: Choose after probe. Design as close to probe as possible without overlap.
Have one primer cross one exon junction to amplify mRNA.
Design guidelines for Molecular Beacons
Molecular Beacons also have a fluorescent reporter and a quencher at their 5' and
3' ends, respectively. The sequence of these probes is designed so that they form
a hairpin structure in which the fluorescent dye and the quencher are in close proximity.
A Molecular Beacon specific for the sequence of interest is used in PCR. The probe
is designed to anneal between the PCR primers. When the probe hybridizes to its
target sequence in the PCR annealing step, the loop opens and the fluorescent reporter
and quencher are separated, resulting in a fluorescent signal. The amount of signal
is proportional to the amount of target sequence, and is measured in real-time to
allow quantification of the amount of target sequence. In order to successfully
monitor PCR, Molecular Beacons should be designed so that they are able to hybridize
to their targets at the annealing temperature of the PCR, whereas the free Molecular
Beacons should remain closed and be non-fluorescent at these temperatures. This
can be ensured by choosing the length of the probe sequence and the length of the
arm sequences appropriately. The length of the probe sequence should be such that
it will dissociate from its target at temperatures 7–10°C higher than the annealing
temperature of the PCR. The melting temperature of the probe target hybrid can be
predicted using the "percent-GC" rule, which is available in most probe design software
packages. The prediction should be made for the probe sequence alone before adding
the stem sequences. In practice, the length of the probe sequence is usually in
the range from 15–30 nucleotides.
The schematic diagram above represents the principle of Molecular Beacons in quantitative,
realtimePCR. A: When not bound to its target sequence, the Molecular
Beacon forms a hairpin structure. The proximity of the fluorescent reporter with
the quencher prevents the reporter from fluorescing. B: During
the PCR annealing step, the Molecular Beacon probe hybridizes to its target sequence.
This separates the fluorescent dye and reporter, resulting in a fluorescent signal.
The amount of signal is proportional to the amount of target sequence, and is measured
in real-time to allow quantification of the amount of target sequence.
- Tm of probe + target hybrid (loop only) has to be 7-10°C above Tanneal
- Tm of stem is 7-10°C higher than the detection temperature (=annealing temperature
of the PCR)
- The loop of the probe should be 15-30 bases
- The stem of the probe should be 5-7 bases on each side
- The amplicon should be less than 150 bp
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Purified vs. Desalted Oligos
Why does Eurofins MWG Operon call their basic purification oligos: Salt-Free?
Unlike most oligo manufacturers, Eurofins MWG Operon does not use liquid ammonia
for deprotection. As our oligos are never exposed to ammonia they are not contaminated
with ammonia salts. To increase the purity of our basic oligo further, we also desalt
all oligos to remove any chemicals left from the synthesis and deprotection processes.
This is why our oligos are called salt free.
What kind of HPLC purification is performed?
When HPLC purification is ordered, several methods of HPLC purification could be
used. For unmodified oligos, ion exchange purification is often performed as this
method typically provides the best separation of full length oligos from the lesser
products. On certain modified oligos we use reversed-phase HPLC as the modification
increases the hydrophobicity of the modified versus unmodified oligos providing
the best separation for these products.. Two-step HPLC purification, which includes
reversed-phase HPLC followed by ion exchange HPLC, is recommended for oligos longer
than 70 bases.
Should I have my oligos purified?
The following chart indicates standard purification levels for different applications.
For any oligo longer than 70 bases, 2-step purification methods are highly recommended.
If you are unsure of which purification method to order, please consult the protocol
for your intended application.
Recommended Purification Levels:
|
Application
|
Oligo
|
Salt-Free
|
HPSF®
|
QuickLC™
|
HPLC
|
PAGE
|
|
Standard PCR* and qPCR
|
Unmodified
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Multiplex PCR
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Sequencing
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Microarray
|
Unmodified
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Modified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Blotting
|
Unmodified
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Modified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
cDNA Library
|
Unmodified
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Construction
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Primer Extension
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Modified
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
454 Fusion Primer
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Modified
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Antisense
|
Modified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Cloning (Chemical Linkers)
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
End Labeling and FISH
|
Modified
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Genotyping / SNPs
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Modified
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Kinasing
|
Modified
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Primers with Restriction Sites
|
Unmodified
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
qPCR
|
Modified
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Crystallography
|
Unmodified
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Gel Shift Assays
|
Unmodified
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Gene Synthesis
|
Unmodified
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Mutagenesis
|
Unmodified
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
These are general guidelines for common applications, but customers are free to
choose for themselves the appropriate purification. Available purification options
are determined by oligo length, modifications, and synthesis scale.
* Although salt-free purity is generally acceptable for oligos that will be used
in PCR, we recommend that, if your primers are particularly long or contain a restriction
site at the 5' end, further purification be considered.
What is the difference between HPSF, QuickLC, and HPLC purification?
HPSF purification produces salt-free oligos in high yields. Typical
purity levels are about 70%, but no guarantee of purity is made. HPSF purity oligos
can be used in any application where salt-free oligos are used, but a little extra
purity is desired.
QuickLC purification produces oligos at 85%+ purity levels. This
is the same level of purification that HPLC delivers. QuickLC purification is a
proprietary chromatographic purification technique that is available on select oligo
types. Where QuickLC purification is available, it produces oligos at the same purity
level as HPLC; with at least twice the yield to provide much more material for your
use.
HPLC purification uses reversed-phase or ion exchange HPLC columns
to produce oligos with 85%+ purity levels. It is available for a wider range of
oligo types than QuickLC purification. HPLC purity is equivalent to QuickLC purity
levels.
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qPCR Probes
What is the difference between a standard qPCR probe and a QuickProbe qPCR probe?
A standard qPCR probe is purified by HPLC and is available for wide variety of dye-quencher
pairs. For selected dye–quencher pairs, Eurofins MWG Operon has tested probes that
have been purified using our proprietary QuickLC purification method. These QuickProbe
qPCR probes have a much higher yield than HPLC-purified probes, and QuickProbe qPCR
probes are typically shipped within just 2 days—less than half the typical delivery
time of standard qPCR probes!
Are QuickProbe qPCR probes available for every dye–quencher pair?
QuickProbe qPCR probes are only available in the 50 nmol synthesis scale (16nmol
minimum yield) with the 6-FAM–TAMRA dye–quencher pair at this time.
How were QuickProbe qPCR probes developed and tested?
After our initial results from internal testing showed significant gains in probe
yield and reductions in processing time, we provided QuickProbe qPCR probes to 10
independent labs for testing. Universally, these labs reported that both the QuickProbe
qPCR probes and the standard probes had similar Ct values and performed equally
well in their assays. Eurofins MWG Operon is excited to bring this vast improvement
in yield and turn around time to our customers.
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Scale
If the scale is 50nmol, will the final yield be 50nmol?
No. The scale of synthesis is the amount of 3'base that the synthesis started with,
it is NOT the expected final yield. The yield depends on the size of the oligonucleotide,
the coupling efficiency, and the base composition. The datasheet included in each
oligo shipment contains all the necessary data pertaining to that order.
For PCR the 50 nmol scale yields approximately 1,000 to 5,000 reactions and the
0.2 µmol scale yields 4,000 to 20,000 reactions (100 µl @ 0.1 to 0.5 µM).
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Turnaround Timetable
What is the turnaround time for my oligo order?
This table represents the estimated turnaround time for shipment of a standard unmodified
oligo order.*
|
Scale
|
Salt-free
|
HPSF
|
QuickLC
|
HPLC
|
PAGE
|
|
10 nmol
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
50 nmol
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
5 days
|
7 days
|
|
0.2 µmol
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
5 days
|
7 days
|
|
1.0 µmol
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
2 days
|
5 days
|
7 days
|
|
10 µmol
|
3 days
|
NA
|
NA
|
5 days
|
NA
|
|
Multi-µmol
|
Inquire
|
NA
|
NA
|
Inquire
|
NA
|
*Turnaround time is based on business days. Please Contact Eurofins MWG Operon
Customer Service for post-synthesis, modifications,
or special purifications