Terms of Service

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using PrimerGenie ("Service"), operated by Cytogence, a division of KeyQ, Inc. ("KeyQ," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

Description of Service

PrimerGenie is a free, web-based tool for searching computationally designed PCR primer pairs. The Service provides a searchable database of over 546,000 primer pairs across more than 40,000 human and mouse genes. Users may search by gene symbol and receive primer sequences, thermodynamic properties, and specificity predictions.

The Service also includes an optional community rating system where authenticated users can share experimental validation results for primer pairs. No account registration is required to search for primers.

Research Use Only

The Service is intended for research use only. Primer data provided by the Service is computationally predicted using in-silico methods and has not been experimentally validated unless explicitly indicated by community reviews.

The Service is not intended for and should not be used for clinical, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes. Users are solely responsible for independently validating any primers before use in experiments or any other application.

We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of any primer data for any particular purpose, including but not limited to experimental success rates or amplification specificity.

User Accounts

Certain features of the Service (submitting reviews, saving primers) require authentication via a supported third-party provider (Google, Microsoft, or ORCID). By creating an account, you agree that:

• You will provide accurate information
• You are responsible for all activity under your account
• You will not share your account credentials or allow unauthorized access
• You will notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account

User-Submitted Content

Community Ratings and Reviews

By submitting reviews, ratings, or other content to the Service, you represent and agree that:

• Your submissions represent genuine experimental results or observations
• You will not submit false, misleading, fraudulent, or spam content
• Your submissions do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party
• You grant KeyQ, Inc. a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your submissions as part of the Service
• Your display name may be shown publicly alongside your reviews

Content Moderation

We reserve the right to remove, edit, or hide any user-submitted content at our sole discretion, including content that violates these Terms, is flagged by the community, or is otherwise objectionable. Reviews that receive multiple community flags may be automatically hidden pending review. We may suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate these Terms.

Intellectual Property

KeyQ^® is a registered trademark of KeyQ, Inc. (U.S. Registration No. 8202592). The PrimerGenie name, logo, and associated branding are the property of KeyQ, Inc.

The Service, including its database structure, algorithms, software, website design, and documentation, is owned by KeyQ, Inc. and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works of any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

Primer sequence data is derived from publicly available reference genomes and annotations from the UCSC Genome Browser. Individual primer sequences are factual data and are not subject to copyright. You are free to use primer sequences obtained from the Service in your research.

Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws or regulations
• Use the Service for clinical, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service, its systems, or other users' accounts
• Scrape, crawl, or bulk download data from the Service in a manner that disrupts normal operation or imposes an unreasonable burden on our infrastructure
• Submit automated, bot-generated, or fraudulent reviews
• Impersonate another person, entity, or falsely represent your affiliation
• Interfere with, disrupt, or compromise the integrity or security of the Service
• Use the Service to transmit malware, viruses, or other harmful code

Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; (B) THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE; (C) ANY PRIMER DATA WILL BE SUITABLE FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR YIELD SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS; OR (D) ANY ERRORS IN THE SERVICE WILL BE CORRECTED.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, KEYQ, INC., ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO:

• Your use of or inability to use the Service
• Any reliance on primer data, community ratings, or other information obtained through the Service
• Failed experiments, wasted reagents, or other research costs
• Unauthorized access to or alteration of your data
• Any third-party conduct or content on the Service

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100.00).

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless KeyQ, Inc. and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including but not limited to intellectual property provisions, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Service.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Vermont, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Chittenden County, Vermont, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and KeyQ, Inc. regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, contact us at: