Sequenom MassARRAY® iPLEX™ Gold SNP genotyping for high throughput variety identification

We used Sequenom® MassARRAY® and iPLEX™ Gold genotyping assay to develop a multiplexed variety identification assay for the Australian barley industry. Correct identification and traceability of barley varieties is a prominent issue for quality assurance throughout the entire barley production supply chain in Australia and worldwide. Malting characteristics are variety dependent thus sourcing approved varieties which are uncontaminated with other malting or feed varieties is vital to product consistency. Fast, robust variety identification requires a stable marker that is not influenced by environment, and a platform which is capable of high throughput genotyping. In order to facilitate rapid, high throughput identification of barley varieties, we have developed a multiplexed SNP genotyping assay capable of determining the identity of each of 60 Australian barley varieties with precision and speed. Sequenom® MassARRAY® and iPLEX™ Gold genotyping was precise and a unique SNP barcode of up to 20 SNPs was produced for each variety. Coupled with the ability to multiplex up to 36 reactions per well on a 384-well plate in a fully automated process, Sequenom® MassARRAY® iPLEX™ Gold SNP genotyping clearly has the potential to be a high-throughput barley variety identification method of choice in Australia.