All seven T-cell receptor and B-cell receptor chains are covered in a single reaction from one tube. Human, mouse and hybrid samples are supported, starting from either RNA or DNA.
NGS - Next Generation Sequencing
Immune Receptor Profiling
All seven TCR and BCR chains from a single tube, in a single day
Understanding an adaptive immune response means knowing which T-cell and B-cell clones are present in your sample, how abundant they are, and whether they are activated. Most TCR and BCR assays make you choose between chains, or trade sensitivity to cover them all. DriverMap AIR profiles all seven T-cell receptor and B-cell receptor chains at once, in one tube and one day, starting from your RNA or DNA. No microfluidic platform is involved and no complex barcoding is needed.
Bulk profiling runs on any of your immune sample types. Human or mouse RNA or DNA from whole blood, PBMCs, cancer biopsies, FFPE material or dried blood microsamples goes into a seven-step library preparation that finishes in a single day, then sequences on Illumina NextSeq or NovaSeq. Human, mouse and hybrid samples are supported, whichever species your study uses.
Single-cell profiling takes your FACS-sorted or diluted T or B cells into a standard 96-well plate and returns paired-chain information alongside phenotype markers from one workflow. With no microfluidic instrument in the path, the platform costs, complex barcoding and expensive reagents that put most single-cell TCR and BCR workflows out of reach fall away.
Sensitivity comes from the chemistry. Gene-specific primers in the DriverMap multiplex PCR technology target only TCR and BCR isoforms, which cuts non-specific binding and primer-dimer products. Validator barcodes count the cDNA or DNA molecules carried through amplification, so low-abundance clonotypes in your data are detected and amplification bias and sequencing errors can be corrected. A dual-index amplicon labelling strategy limits index hopping during sequencing.
Full profiles of the antigen-recognition CDR3 region let you assess CDR3 length distribution, V(D)J segment usage, isotype composition for BCRs and somatic mutation, using immune receptor profiling software such as MiXCR. Synthetic RNA spike-in controls are available as universal controls for AIR sequencing assays built on multiplex RT-PCR or 5' RACE chemistry, including home-brewed assays. DriverMap AIR is cited in more than ten peer-reviewed publications.
Choosing between bulk and single-cell profiling
- You need repertoire frequency across a whole sample. Bulk profiling from RNA or DNA covers all seven chains and suits whole blood, PBMCs, biopsies, FFPE and dried blood microsamples.
- You need to know which chains sit in the same cell. Single-cell profiling on FACS-sorted or diluted cells returns paired-chain information together with phenotype markers, from a standard 96-well plate.
- You are working with degraded or archival material. FFPE and dried blood microsamples are supported in the bulk workflow, starting from either RNA or DNA.
- You want to compare runs, sites or laboratories. Synthetic RNA spike-in controls give a common reference across multiplex RT-PCR and 5' RACE assays.
- You need both repertoire breadth and functional specificity. Bulk profiling establishes clonotype frequency, and single-cell chain pairing links that frequency back to individual cells.
- You would rather not run the assay in-house. Profiling services are available. Sharing your sample details and study goals is enough to open the conversation.
Applications
Checkpoint inhibitor studies
Tracking T-cell clonality, diversity and clonal expansion helps resolve how immune checkpoint inhibitors act across your treatment groups.
Solid tumour immune dynamics
Antigen-specific TCR repertoires mapped longitudinally across blood and tumour compartments capture how your immune response shifts over time.
Cellular immunotherapy design
Tumour-reactive TCR sequences can be identified and validated from your samples, feeding personalised cell therapy programmes.
Antibody and vaccine discovery
BCR sequencing identifies broadly neutralising antibodies and maps Ig-seq datasets to known antibody structures for your development work.
Autoimmune and lymphoma markers
Repertoire profiling surfaces clinical markers in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and B-cell lymphoma across your cohorts.
Neo-antigen and epitope discovery
Single-cell chain pairing with immunophenotype data points to novel epitopes and guides your vaccine and CAR-T evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
The bulk assay profiles any immune sample type and reports clonotype frequency across the population. The single-cell assay takes FACS-sorted or diluted T or B cells in a standard 96-well plate and returns paired-chain information with phenotype markers, without a microfluidic instrument.
Whole blood, PBMCs, cancer biopsies, FFPE material and dried blood microsamples, from human or mouse RNA or DNA. Library preparation runs to seven steps and finishes in a single day, then sequences on Illumina NextSeq or NovaSeq.
Validator barcodes count the cDNA or DNA molecules carried into amplification, which allows low-abundance clonotypes to be detected and amplification bias and sequencing errors to be corrected. Dual-index amplicon labelling limits index hopping during sequencing.
Product catalogs
Not sure which catalog to start with? We will help you find the right products.
Tell us what you are looking for — antibodies, kits, proteins, or supplies — and our team will point you to the best catalog filters, suppliers, and product matches for your workflow.
