Most uncertain genetic test results get untangled one variant at a time. This team tested thousands at once (@calhoujd, @CGBiar). Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder that can cause benign tumors in the brain, kidneys, skin, and other organs. Genetic testing can sometimes bring clarity, but more than 90% of TSC2 missense variants in the ClinVar database are uncertain or have conflicting classifications. In a new Nature Communications paper, Biar, Wang, Camp et al. (2026) measured protein abundance for almost 9,000 TSC2 variants and mTOR pathway activity for 391. Pairing the two assays paid off: some variants disabled TSC2 without changing how much protein the cell made, so an abundance-only test would have missed them. In a clinical cohort, the combined data helped reclassify 212 of 276 variants of uncertain significance. The team used Plasmidsaurus Whole Plasmid Sequencing to verify their prime editing guide RNA vectors and libraries, and Amplicon Sequencing to screen guides for editing efficiency before scaling up. As co-first author Carina Biar put it, the speed and affordability made the pilot experiments “not only feasible but approachable.” Read the paper: doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-7…

When we say sample to discovery, this is what we mean. We send back results you can act on: volcano plots and pathway enrichment for RNA-Seq, species-level breakdowns for microbiome samples, annotated plasmid maps, and alignments that point you straight to the mismatch. Explore them interactively, then download publication-ready figures for your next paper or lab meeting. 🦖

Channeling Paul’s optimism for this Monday. Results may vary.

The SF office, trying to figure out what Plasmidsaurus smells like. 🕯️

Nodding along while mentally refreshing your inbox

There's no good time to discover your plasmid is wrong, but finding out months into a project is the worst. 👀 Did you know Addgene's QC team reports finding errors in about 30% of deposited plasmids? Not every error will compromise a construct, but an unexpected one can mean weeks of frustrating troubleshooting. Fortunately, Plasmidsaurus Whole Plasmid Sequencing can help you catch issues before they derail your project. But when should you actually sequence your whole plasmid? Our latest blog post breaks down four key moments when it makes all the difference. 👇 plasmidsaurus.com/blog/when-…

Heading to ASHG 2026 in Montréal? Take a break from the sessions and join our dinos for “Game of Genomes: A Night Out with Plasmidsaurus” at FunHub! Trade the poster hall for: 🎮 One hour of free games 🍤 Finger foods and drinks 💬 Great conversation (plus answers to your sequencing questions) 📍 FUNHUB Montréal (Centre-ville) 📅 Tue., Oct. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. Spots require approval, so request yours early 👉 luma.com/chfkxyk4

What does the future of protein design look like? We recently sat down with @PetrSkopintsev and @isabelesain from the @DoudnaJennifer Lab, who walked us through their new Science paper on engineering compact RNA-guided nucleases. In Part 2 of our interview, they take us through that moment of seeing the cryo-EM structure of their AI-designed RNA-guided nuclease for the first time. When a low-abundance contaminant complicated their variant screening, Plasmidsaurus Whole Plasmid Sequencing with ZeroPrep helped them quickly find the source and keep their project moving. From there, the conversation turns to what's next: faster protein engineering, new functions, personalized medicine, and favorite dinosaurs 👀 Watch Part 2 now! Read the original paper here: doi.org/10.1126/science.aed6…

Delivery is one of the biggest bottlenecks in CRISPR: even a great enzyme is limited if it's too large to get where it needs to go. We interviewed @PetrSkopintsev and @isabelesain from the @DoudnaJennifer Lab, who walked us through their new Science paper on engineering compact RNA-guided nucleases. Along the way, Plasmidsaurus helped keep their variant screening moving at a fast pace. If AI models are advanced enough to predict protein structure, can they also help design complex enzymes from the ground up in the future? Watch Part 1 now to find out! Part 2 arrives tomorrow: the result that surprised them, and a very serious dinosaur debate 🦖 Read the original paper here: doi.org/10.1126/science.aed6…

Whether it’s your 1st or 50th, every submission is worth celebrating 🎉

Manifesting this for your next assembly 🧩

With its enormous claws, Therizinosaurus looked like a formidable predator. But this dinosaur was likely a herbivore, a reminder that appearances don’t always tell the whole story. The same can be true for cell cultures. Mycoplasma can alter cell signaling and gene expression without causing obvious changes in the culture. Everything may look fine while unwanted contamination affects the biology you’re trying to measure. Your RNA-Seq data can help uncover what isn’t visible. Plasmidsaurus now includes mycoplasma screening with all RNA-Seq results. We analyze non-host reads and screen for nine mycoplasma and related species, looking for strong evidence of contamination. No extra sample or additional sequencing, just more insight from data you’re already generating. Read more about the mycoplasma screen: plasmidsaurus.com/technical-…

Is your HEK293 really HEK293? Cell line misidentification is more common than you might think. The International Cell Line Authentication Committee estimates the worldwide average incidence of misidentified cell line use at 22%. Now every Plasmidsaurus RNA-Seq order checks for you. We use the SNPs already captured in your RNA-Seq reads to confirm sample identity, so there's no separate assay and no extra sequencing step. With this approach, Plasmidsaurus can: - Compare human samples against 917 cataloged cell lines - Flag potential mixtures when a second measured cell line accounts for 10% or more of reads - Assign mouse samples to 45 strain background groups Read the full methods and validation data in our new technical note: plasmidsaurus.com/technical-…

More dinosaur species to add to the encyclopedia 🦕

Since 2021, you've sent us your plasmids and woken up to the full sequence. Now we're taking the miniprep off your plate too. With ZeroPrep colony sequencing, you send us a colony, plate, or overnight culture and get whole plasmid sequences back overnight or even the same day. No miniprep. No PCR. No bias. With ZeroPrep, you can: ✅ Focus on your hits and stop prepping clones you'll throw away ✅ Get to the results you want up to a day faster ✅ Trust your data with high-quality, amplification-free performance Which clone are you sequencing first? 🤔 Send in samples today: plasmidsaurus.com/plasmid?ut…

It’s International Music Day 🎶 Our lab techs spend their days processing your samples, so we naturally wanted to know what they’re listening to 🎧 Here’s what’s playing in a few Plasmidsaurus labs around the world…

Think of us as your plasmid wingman. We won't just tell you it's a match; we'll show you the full profile (assembly %, homopolymer regions, all the details) so you know exactly what you're getting into before you commit to a construct. Red flags? We'll spot them before your next experiment does. Having screened over 7 million plasmids, we know a good match when we see one.

Could the way that bacteria repair DNA help fight antibiotic resistance? Meet Jolyn Pan, a postdoctoral fellow in the C2 Labs at the University of Waikato. She’s studying how the enzyme LigE helps Neisseria gonorrhoeae repair DNA before potentially acquiring antibiotic resistance and virulence genes from its environment. With Plasmidsaurus, Jolyn can quickly confirm that the constructs used in her experiments are exactly as intended: “I can just check my sequencing data against my reference gene on the Plasmidsaurus website and it will easily tell me of any mismatches on its website.” Swipe to learn how Jolyn’s research could uncover new ways to make existing antibiotics more effective against gonorrhoea.

Even lab days need a little downtime 💤