mericon MON 810 Corn Kit

The mericon MON 810 Corn Kit is designed for the detection of MON 810 corn in food and animal feed. The mericon MON 810 Corn Kit can detect as little as 10 copies of target DNA in a reaction and exhibits high specificity for MON 810 corn. No cross-reactivity was observed with other genetically modifiied organisms or with other plant or animal species  using 50 ng of tested DNA (see the table "Results of mericon MON 810 Corn Kit cross-reactivity study").

Results of mericon MON 810 Corn Kit cross-reactivity study

The mericon MON 810 Corn Kit was developed for the qualitative detection of the genetically modified organism (GMO) MON 810 corn (one of the most frequently used genetically modified corn lines worldwide) in food and animal feed samples. The corn line MON 810 was developed through a genetic modification resulting in resistance against the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) by producing Bt‑Toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis.

Detection of GMOs using real-time PCR is based on the amplification of a specific region of the relevant GMO genome. The amplified product is detected using target-specific fluorescent probes that bind to it. As the PCR product accumulates, there is an increased fluorescent signal from the bound probes. Monitoring the fluorescence intensities during the PCR run (i.e., in real time) allows the detection of the accumulating PCR product without having to re-open the reaction tubes afterward.

mericon PCR Assays include an internal control to control potential inhibition. This aids in the straightforward interpretation of the results (see the table "Summary of possible PCR outcomes").

The PCR primer set for each assay is highly specific and targets either a genetic construct that is commonly used in GMOs or a DNA sequence that is specific for a particular GMO. These targets were verified bioinformatically and experimentally. 

DNA is extracted from a sample of food or animal feed using a dedicated sample preparation kit. QIAGEN's DNeasy mericon Food Kit is suitable for a wide range of food matrices, including those with high inhibitor contents.

The isolated, pure DNA is assayed using a streamlined real-time PCR protocol that returns results in 82 minutes on QIAGEN's Rotor-Gene Q. The protocol has also been validated for use on other thermal block cyclers.

The results are displayed as easy-to-interpret PCR curves.