How IDT's oPools™ Oligonucleotide Pools Simplify High-Throughput Molecular Research

Eliminating Pre-Amplification: A Game-Changer for Researchers

Researchers working with DNA oligonucleotide pools have long faced a trade-off between quality and usability. Most commercially available oligo pools require PCR amplification steps before use—a time-consuming process that introduces bias and complexity. IDT has now disrupted this workflow with oPools™, ready-to-use DNA oligo pools that require no pre-amplification, allowing scientists to move directly into their downstream applications.

The product addresses a critical pain point in synthetic biology, diagnostic development, and drug discovery workflows. By delivering pools that can be used immediately, oPools™ enables researchers to streamline their “Design, Build, Test” cycles and accelerate project timelines.

Superior Manufacturing, Superior Results

What sets IDT’s approach apart is its proprietary solid-support manufacturing platform. Unlike competitors relying on array or silicon chip-based batch synthesis, IDT synthesizes every single oligonucleotide individually. This fundamental difference translates into measurable performance advantages.

The result is industry-leading uniformity and fidelity. IDT reports that 95% of sequences in oPools™ are represented within 1.5x of the mean, compared to 90% within 4x of the mean from comparable suppliers. The error rate—less than 1 in 2000 nucleotides—represents a significant step forward for high-fidelity applications requiring precise DNA sequences.

Extended Length, Expanded Capabilities

oPools™ oligonucleotide pools range from 40 to 350 nucleotides in length with yields delivered in picomoles, eliminating the need for pre-work before use. The 4-to-7 business day turnaround from order to delivery combines with flexible ordering (no minimum orders) and compatibility with standard downstream cloning methods.

Real-World Performance and Industry Adoption

Early adopters have validated the performance benefits. ArcherDX, a molecular technology company focused on personalized genomic medicine, evaluated multiple oligo pool providers before selecting IDT’s oPools™. The company confirmed that IDT’s offering delivered the performance, speed, and ease-of-use required for their demanding applications.

The product has already undergone six months of beta testing, with customers reporting strong results. Applications include CRISPR library construction, protein screening, and gene assembly—all areas where pool uniformity and sequence fidelity directly impact experimental outcomes.

Positioning Integrated DNA Technologies for Scale

IDT had historically avoided the traditional oligo pools market due to capacity constraints. Two years into its 6th-generation synthesis platform, the company resolved those limitations and now brings its ultra-high fidelity synthesis capabilities to the pools market—a space typically dominated by microarray-based approaches.

With over 120,000 life sciences researchers worldwide relying on IDT for custom nucleic acid solutions, the launch of oPools™ represents the company’s entry into a new segment, leveraging decades of experience in genomics applications including CRISPR genome editing and next-generation sequencing.