New User Starter Guide for HCR™ RNA-CISH

Welcome to MI! This blog post will cover everything you need to know as you get started with HCR™ RNA-CISH. Don't see an answer to your question? Email us at support@molecularinstruments.com for tailored support to your questions! 

Ordering HCR™ RNA-CISH Reagents

HCR™ RNA-CISH product offering

There are three types of kits that you can choose from: 

• HCR™ RNA-CISH Starter Kit: choose from two accessible introductory kits for the evaluation of HCR™ RNA-CISH
• HCR™ RNA-CISH Exploration Kit: a 20-slide kit designed for efficient screening of your exploratory RNA target of interest
• HCR™ RNA-CISH Research Kit: a 90-slide kit designed for high-volume imaging of your validated RNA target of interest

Every kit contains all the reagents you'll need for the detection of one target, including HCR™ Amplification reagents. Chromogens are not included. Each kit (except for the HCR™ RNA-CISH Starter Kit) is designed for the detection of one target.

How to place an order

To place an order for HCR™ RNA-CISH, go to our web store here: https://store.hcrimaging.com/new-bundle/rna-cish. This will take you to our ordering interface where you can then customize an order.

All you'll need to specify is: 

1. Lecia BOND or Roche DISCOVERY
2. Species name for your sample type
3. Target name
4. Chromogen: AP (e.g., Fast Red) or HRP (e.g., DAB) 

HCR™ Subscription

An HCR™ Subscription is ideal for enterprise users who are interested in regularly ordering bulk volumes of HCR™ RNA-CISH kits.

An HCR™ Subscription can be tailored to your lab's needs and offers huge benefits. A few key benefits include: 

• Hassle-free ordering with bulk pricing
• Priority support with in-house validation
• Unused slides roll-over to the next year

Subscription details will be determined on a per-user basis. If interested, please contact us directly at info@molecularinstruments.com.

Billing and Shipping

Estimated Shipping Times

Upon receiving a valid purchase order, we aim to ship as follows: 

• HCR™ RNA-CISH Starter Kits: 1-3 business days
• HCR™ RNA-CISH Research Kits: 8-10 business days
• HCR™ RNA-CISH Exploration Kits: 8-10 business days

Frequently Asked Questions

What targets are compatible with HCR™ RNA-CISH?

HCR™ RNA-CISH is compatible with a diverse array of targets, including mRNAs, IncRNAs, microRNAs, splice junctions, splice variants, and other challenging target types.

Can I perform duplex HCR™ RNA-CISH and IHC? 

Yes! HCR™ RNA-CISH has native compatibility with IHC due to enzyme-free pre-treatment, preserving both protein structure and tissue morphology. Please review our blog post here to learn more about performing duplex HCR™ RNA-CISH + IHC.

How many targets can I detect with HCR™ RNA-CISH? 

Currently, HCR™ RNA-CISH for the detection of 1 target is available for purchase. Duplex HCR™ RNA-CISH is coming soon! 

Can HCR™ RNA-CISH be used with non-human primate samples? 

Yes, HCR™ RNA-CISH can be used with any sample type. For suggestions on how to optimize HCR™ RNA-CISH for your sample type, please reach out to our support team at support@molecularinstruments.com.

What are the storage conditions for HCR™ RNA-CISH reagents? 

All HCR™ RNA-CISH probes, amplification reagents, and endogenous enzyme block should be stored in 2-8 °C.

What is the shelf life and stability for HCR™ RNA-CISH reagents? 

We are currently conducting stability tests on our HCR™ RNA-CISH reagents. Preliminary results demonstrate that all the pre-diluted reagents are stable for at least 3 months. We suggest inverting the containers for gentle mixing if you haven't used the reagents for a couple of weeks. Please make sure to store all reagents properly.

What parameters should I adjust to modify HCR™ RNA-CISH signal intensity? 

You can try the following to modify signal intensity: 

• Increase antigen retrieval (epitope retrieval) time from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Different tissues have different optimal antigen retrieval times.
• Increase probe hybridization from 1 hour to 2 hours.
• Increase HCR™ Amplification 2 from 60 minutes to 120 minutes.
• Increase HCR™ Amplification 5 from 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

Is there a manual protocol for HCR™ RNA-CISH? 

We currently do not support HCR™ RNA-CISH for manual use.

Does MI provide any trial kits for new users? 

Please contact us if you're interested in receiving a complimentary HCR™ RNA-CISH Starter Kit. An HCR™ RNA-CISH Starter Kit contains reagents for detection of three positive controls with varying expression levels for human (UBC, PPIB, and POLR2A) or mouse (Ubc, Ppib, and Polr2a) and one negative control (dapB).