Genotools SNP MANAGER: A new software for automated high-throughput MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry SNP genotyping

Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is a rapidly growing fie ld of research that provides insights into the most common type of differen ces between individual genomes. The resulting information has a strong impa ct in the fields of pharmacogenomics, drug development, forensic medicine, and diagnostics of specific disease markers. The technique of matrix-assist ed laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been shown to be a highly suitable tool for the analysis of DNA. It supplies to be a highly suitable tool for the analysis of DNA. It supplies a very versatile methods for addressing a high-throughput SNP genotyping a pproach. Here, we present the Bruker genotools SNP MANAGER, a new software tool suitable for highly automated MALDI-TOF MS SNP genotyping. The genotoo ls SNP MANAGER administers the sample preparation data, calculates masses o f allele-specific primer extension products, performs genotyping analysis, and displays the results. In the current study, we have used the genotools SNP MANAGER to perform an automated duplex SNP analysis of two biallelic ma rkers from the promoter of the gene encoding the inflammatory mediator inte rleukin-6.