What impacts Atera Instrument run time?

• Panel configuration: the number of genes on a panel and number of cycles in the run (e.g., a 142-cycle WTA vs. a 22-cycle Panel A configuration)
• Transcript density: impacted by sample preparation (fresh frozen vs. FFPE), tissue type, and disease state
• Tissue thickness
• Number of slides in the instrument run
• Sample area

The RNA quality, section thickness, expression profile, and the genes on the specific panel affect the detected transcript density. Fresh frozen tissue typically has higher RNA integrity and is sectioned to 10 µm thickness. On average, this results in a higher 2D density of detected transcripts compared to FFPE tissues.