Introducing the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe

We're proud that our users have pioneered the use of HCR™ products in over 500 species, ranging from established model organisms, such as mouse and human, to emerging model organisms, such as daddy longlegs and Arabidopsis. One of the most consistent challenges with bringing methods to new sample types is assessing general sample integrity. We're excited to introduce an entirely new reagent, enabled by our recent launch of HCR™ Gold: the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe. In fact, we're so excited about this, we're including it by default in every HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH kit order from now forward to help users validate their sample preparation before starting their HCR™ workflows.

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The HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe is a universal control engineered to work with any HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH or Pro RNA-ISH assay across all systems (X1-X10) in any sample type, giving you a fast and reliable way to assess whether your sample has been properly permeabilized and whether the RNA has been preserved through fixation and handling. Additionally, the incorporation of a novel universal HCR™ initiator enables compatibility with any HCR™ Amplifier. The HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe is a simple, effective quality control that can save time, reduce troubleshooting, and help ensure your experimental success.

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Why Use the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe? 

Think of this probe as your built-in workflow control. Specifically, the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe helps confirm: 

• Successful permeabilization: Checks that HCR™ reagents can effectively access your sample.
• Workflow performance: Provides robust signal to help confirm that the HCR™ reagents and amplification workflow are perforrming as expected.

If the sample is suitably prepared and the workflow is performing well, you'll see strong, uniform signal throughout. Weak or uneven signal can point to issues with sample preparation, permeabilization, or the HCR™ workflow that may be worth addressing before moving on to your targets of interest. The HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe is intended as a workflow control to verify that your sample is "ready" for HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH or HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH assays rather than a direct measure of RNA integrity or target-specific probe performance.

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When and How to Use the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe

You can run the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe as a standalone quality check in pilot studies or in parallel with your experimental probes as an internal control. This probe is designed to be run as a 1-plex assay using a single HCR™ Amplifier (whether Gold or Pro), ensuring straightforward setup and consistent signal readout. We especially recommend using this probe when: 

• Working with a new sample type or organism
• Testing a new fixation or permeabilization protocol
• Using archived or otherwise sensitive samples

Because the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe targets abundant RNAs, you should expect bright, widespread signal across the sample. This readout helps you assess both probe access and RNA preservation, a straightforward yet powerful way to add a critical layer of quality assurance to your RNA-ISH workflow.

By including the HCR™ Sample Readiness Probe in every HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH order, we're making it easy to perform routine quality checks -- helping you minimize troubleshooting, validate sample prep, and move forward with confidence.

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If you have any questions about how to incorporate this probe into your experiments or interpret the results, our Support Team is always happy to help.