Box of 'Reaction Components A' from Biomass PROBE Kit by Sequenom, Inc., San Diego, California, United States, 1999. Demonstration kit.

This kit was developed for analysing Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). This is the chemical that carries the genetic information in the cell. Researchers use the reaction components within the kit to read the information encoded within the DNA. The DNA is prepared for analysis on a special silicon chip (known as a SpectroCHIP). A mass spectrometer is then used to identify differences in the DNA by measuring changes in the mass or weight of the molecule.

This technique was developed in the 1990s by Sequenom, in San Diego, California.