Question: I'm using the Thermo Fisher Scientific Veriti© 96-Well Thermal Cycler (Cat No. 4375786) to run Visium, how should I set up the thermal cycler to maximize success?
Answer: In order to successfully run our Visium assays, one of the requirements is to use a thermal cycler that can accommodate the Slide Cassette and Thermocycler Adaptor assembly with the lid closed. Please see this article for additional requirements:
- Which thermal cyclers are compatible with Visium for FFPE?
- Which thermal cyclers are compatible with the Visium for fresh-frozen assay?
We have found that there is some variability of Veriti reaction chambers and/or lids that can lead to the following failure modes:
- Gene Expression Slides falling out of the Slide Cassette
- Gene Expression Slides breaking in the Slide Cassette
- Slide Cassette leakage during the workflow
Because some Visium customers using the Veriti struggle with Slide Cassette deformation, we would ask that the lid be closed but not locked for on-slide steps with the Slide Cassette.
In order to do this, close the lid until it’s flush with the Slide Cassette on top of the Thermocycler Adaptor but do not lock the lid. This should ameliorate issues of leakage or slide damage with the Veriti. Please note: from internal side-by-side testing, we found that Veriti thermal cyclers with unlocked and locked lids performed equivalently.
Products: Visium for Fresh-Frozen, Visium for FFPE