Dear All, A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions/experiences with companies that construct microsatellite libraries. I have collated all the replies (thank you to everyone who got in touch) and appended these below. Many thanks again, Sophie (svdh@sun.ac.za) ----- You could try GIS in the US (http://www.genetic-id-services.com/library.htm). They've done a couple of libraries for us and we've always been happy with the output. ----- Savannah River Ecology Lab does microsat library development: http://srel.edu/microsat/Microsat_DNA_Development.html I had them develop primers for my thesis and got good results. ----- I have been developing msats for 6 species. I found a company in France (lille) that promises 100 bioinfomatic loci! for approx $2500! They get their micros by enrichment and and 545 sequencing. You only have to send 1 ug of mixed DNA (8 or more specimens). I have had no results yet, but at least what they promise sound good and cheap. details: Genoscreen 1, rue du Professeur Calmette 59000 - Lille - France Tel +33 (0) 320 877 153 - Fax +33 (0) 320 877 264 www.genoscreen.com http://twitter.com/Genoscreen - http://facebook.com/Genoscreen ----- SREL does really nice work at low expense. I used to work as a tech there. http://www.srel.edu/microsat/Microsat_DNA_Development.html ----- I'd suggest you don't get a library at all. It will be (much) cheaper, probably quicker and certainly better (more different repeat types, more loci) to get a modest amount of next-gen sequencing done. I don't know if he is still doing this, but Michael Gardner has been organizing multiple people to share the same next-gen run, and then putting the sequences through the relevant software. He has a recent paper (Mol Ecol Resources) explaining it all. Typical outcome for a vertebrate is several hundred candidate loci (with primer design) for a few thousand dollars. My particular species was very tricky, and the outcomes were better than multiple attempts at old fashioned libraries, even given we have a lot of experience with the old way. ----- We have had several microsatellite libraries constructed by Genetic Identification Services (GIS) and were very pleased with the libraries and the service. We are doing much of our work now with single nucleotide polymorphisms so I haven't dealt with them for several years. We only have experience with GIS so I cannot tell you how they compare with other similar services. ----- Check out Egogenics in Switzerland: http://www.ecogenics.ch/ A bit expensive, but reliable. ----- Have you thought about skipping the library business and doing a portion of a next gen sequencing run instead? I've made several libraries but never would again as it's more expensive and takes a heap longer than a next gen seq run. The trick is to find others who are doing it so you can all share part of a lane to save money. I expect there are several folk who are organising such things but I know for sure that Steve Donnellan at the South Australian Museum (and Uni of Adelaide) is co-ordinating this. I think the cost is somewhere in the vicinity of A$2000. Good luck. ----- We had very good results with GenoScreen ----- We have had several microsatellite libraries constructed by Genetic Identification Services (GIS: http://www.genetic-id-services.com) and were very pleased with the libraries and the service. We are doing much of our work now with single nucleotide polymorphisms so I haven't dealt with them for several years. We only have experience with GIS so I cannot tell you how they compare with other similar services. ----- Genetic Marker Services develop microsatellites using library enrichment. www.geneticmarkerservices.com Email them your microsatellite development query via their website, or direct at enquiries@geneticmarkerservices.com ----- "Von der Heyden, S, Dr "