This technical figure was developed for Canopy Biosciences for their NanoString nCounter gene expression assay. The way in which information is encoded within a gene and the impact this has on protein assembly is known as gene expression. Traditional RNA analysis requires conversion and amplification reactions which can introduce bias, error and variability. The NanoString permits digital counting of the native RNA in a sample and quantitative measurement of changes in gene expression, making the techniques faster and simple than other options available.