The present invention includes a method and kit for cDNA synthesis of a 3′UTR/poly(A) tail junction of cellular RNA comprising: obtaining RNA comprising a 3′UTR/poly(A) junction and a poly(a) tail; combining the RNA with three terminating nucleotides of modified-deoxyGTP, modified-deoxyCTP and modified-deoxyATP, dNTPs, and adaptor sequence-oligo-dT; performing reverse transcription of the RNA with a reverse transcriptase primed with the adaptor sequence-oligo-dT to form terminated cDNA fragments that are stochastically terminated upstream of the 3′UTR/poly(A) junction, but not within the poly(A) tail; isolating the terminated cDNA fragments; chemically ligating a functionalized 5′ adaptor to the terminated cDNA; and amplifying the chemically-ligated cDNA into an amplification product, wherein the cDNA is enriched for sequences at the 3′UTR/poly(A) tail junction without fragmentation or enzymatic ligation.

Presented herein are polymerase enzymes for improved incorporation of nucleotide analogues, in particular nucleotides which are modified at the 3′ sugar hydroxyl, as well as methods and kits using the same.

Provided herein are engineered variants of archaeal polymerases that exhibit exonuclease-minus activity, enhanced thermostability, enhanced incorporation of 3′ modified nucleotides, improved uracil-tolerance and/or reduce sequence-specific errors in polymerase-catalyzed nucleotide binding and extension reactions relative to wild type polymerase enzymes. Also provided are uses of the engineered polymerases for forming complexed polymerases and forming binding complexes, and uses for conducting nucleic acid sequencing reactions.

Described herein is a variant pol6 polymerase having at least one mutation selected from H223, N224, Y225, H227, I295, Y342, T343, I357, S360, L361, I363, S365, S366, Y367, P368, D417, E475, Y476, F478, K518, H527, T529, M531, N535, G539, P542, N545, Q546, A547, L549, 1550, N552, G553, F558, A596, G603, A610, V615, Y622, C623, D624, I628, Y629, R632, N635, M641, A643, I644, T647, I648, T651, I652, K655, W656, D657, V658, H660, F662, L690 and combinations thereof.

A universal template strand built with universal base analogs is used as a template for polynucleotide synthesis. The universal template strand can hybridize to any sequence of nucleotides. A new polynucleotide is synthesized by using a polymerase to extend a primer hybridized to the universal template strand. Unlike primer extension in polymerase chain reactions, base pairing with nucleotides in the template strand does not specify the sequence of the new polynucleotide. Instead, the sequence of the new polynucleotide is specified by the order of addition of protected nucleotides. After addition of a single species of protected nucleotide, the blocking group is removed and another protected nucleotide is added. The order of nucleotide addition can be varied to create any sequence. After synthesis, the polynucleotide can be dehybridized from the universal template strand. The universal template strand may then be reused to synthesize a different polynucleotide.

Provided herein are methods of identifying a location of an RNA in a sample that include: (a) contacting the sample with an array comprising capture probes, where a capture probe comprises a capture domain and a spatial barcode; (b) releasing the RNA from the sample; (c) extending a 3′ end of the capture probe using the capture domain-bound RNA as a template; (d) generating nick(s) in the extended capture probe-hybridized RNA and performing random-primed DNA synthesis; (e) performing end repair on the second strand DNA molecule; (f) adding a single adenosine nucleotide to the 3′ end of the extended capture probe; (g) ligating a double-stranded sequencing adaptor to the double-stranded DNA product; and (h) determining all or a part of the sequence of the RNA, and the sequence of the spatial barcode, or complements thereof, and using the determined sequences to identify the location of the RNA in the sample.

The invention includes a mutant Taq polymerase, which can effectively amplify a target sequence under conditions of salt concentration(s) similar to body fluids, including blood, serum or plasma preserved with sodium citrate. The mutant Taq polymerase, or a biologically active fragment thereof, has one or more substitutions differing from the wild type as shown in Table I.

The present invention provides a new type of galacto-oligosaccharide, having a mannose residue instead of a glucose residue at the reducing end. The invention also relates to compositions comprising this galacto-oligosaccharide, its preparation and use in nutritional compositions.

Provided herein is a general method for producing large (more than 400 aa long) D-amino acids proteins, also referred to as mirror image protein (with respect to their naturally occurring L-amino acids counterparts), including RNA/DNA manipulating enzymes, and uses thereof in a wide range of research, practical data storage and medicinal applications.

The present disclosure concerns methods and compositions for inhibiting replication of viruses in mammalian cells. In some cases the virus can be African Swine Fever virus, or related viruses. The methods described herein can make use of programmable nucleases.