The Challenge
Viral vectors are specialized tools that are used to deliver target genetic material into cells. The main objective of the GIGA Viral Vectors Platform is to advance scientific research by helping scientists with the production of retro/lentiviral vectors and transduction of target cells, in order to get better viral delivery results for a wide range of different applications.
To support the diverse needs of the researchers that use the facility, the group needed microplate readers that could perform a range of different assays including absorbance, fluorescence, and luciferase assays. The reliability of the readers was also an important consideration as they would be used in Biosafety Level 2 and Level 3 laboratories with more restrictive access.
The Solution
To meet the demands of the facility, the group uses two FilterMax™ F5 Multi-Mode Microplate Readers. These are ideal for use in their core Biosafety facilities as the rich feature sets of these readers, which include many different read modes and temperature control, have the flexibility to support a large number of assays.
Advancing research into:
- Gene / Cell Therapy
- Gene Disorders
- Immunology
- Molecular biology
- Virology
FilterMax F3 and F5 Multi-Mode Microplate Readers
Products Used
The FilterMax F5 Multi-Mode Microplate Readers offer a wide set of features at an affordable price-to-performance ratio. It provides UV and visible absorbance, top and bottom fluorescence intensity, glow luminescence, FP, and TRF modes for programmable endpoint, kinetic, multiple-wavelength linear scan and area scan measurements in 6- to 1536-well plates. The wavelength selection options are from 230-750 nm.
The Results
The two FilterMax F5 systems are now routinely used within the GIGA Viral Vectors Platform for:
- Testing supernatants for Mycoplasma using luciferase assays
- Measuring GFP, RFP, BFP (fluorescence) or luciferase expression in transduced cells
- Absorbance detection (protein dosage)
Data obtained using these sytems is helping the team to optimize the production of viral vectors, and the subsequent transduction of cells, in order to more effectively deliver genetic material into cells. The ultimate goal of this research is to advance the understanding and treatment of various diseases in areas such as neuroscience, metabolic diseases, and cancer.
"What we particularly like about the F5 is that this system is very flexible and it includes temperature adjustment and bottom reading for adherent cells reading."
References
More information about the GIGA Viral Vectors Platform can be found here .