FLIPR Penta High-Throughput Cellular Screening System

Cardiomyocyte screening

Early prediction of drug-induced functional cardiotoxicity requires robust in vitro systems suitable for high-throughput screening. Readily-available iPSC-derived human cardiomyocytes may be used in conjunction with calcium-sensitive dyes, and beat rates are monitored as changes in intracellular calcium. These calcium peaks can be analyzed with our ScreenWorks PeakPro Software which provides the investigator a suite of powerful tools for quantification of cardiomyocyte activity.

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Calcium Flux

The evaluation of calcium flux is a long accepted, tried and true measure of cellular activity. Calcium flux can be used as a measurement for a host of cellular processes including neurotransmitter release, GPCR activity, voltage or ligand gated ion channels, and cardiomyocyte beat patterns, among many others. The FLIPR Penta System is the drug discovery tool for evaluation of calcium flux in high and ultra-high throughput due to its ease of use, sensitivity and user configurability.

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Neuronal Assays

The FLIPR Penta System is an excellent tool for monitoring calcium flux related to neuronal activity. Newly developed commercially available iPSC neurons have made high-throughput neuronal screening a reality. These cells and assays are essential for monitoring a variety of factors including neural cell culture conditions, drug compound effects, and the effect of environmental neurotoxins. Neuronal activity and neurotransmitter release can be evaluated with fluorescence-based calcium indicator dyes combining fast, simple, and powerful assays with scalable throughput.

Membrane Potential

There are dozens of identified disorders caused by impaired ion channel function. Ion channels are important drug discovery targets because they are highly druggable and specific. The FLIPR® Membrane Potential Assay Kits provide a fast, simple and reliable fluorescence-based assay for detecting changes in voltage across the cell membrane mediated by ion channel to evaluate target or off-target effects based on the application.

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GPCR

Fluorescent dyes sensitive to changes in intracellular calcium have become increasingly popular in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug discovery. These dyes make GPCR screening assays highly sensitive, easy to perform, and low cost compared to other assays. Instruments capable of measuring fluorescent-based calcium indicators in high-throughput have become significantly more affordable making them obtainable even for academic groups.

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Potassium Assays

Functional evaluation of potassium ion channels in a cell is of critical importance in the drug discovery process, particularly when it involves cardiac safety. The FLIPR® Potassium Assay Kit exploits the permeability of thallium ions (Tl+) through both voltage- and ligand-gated potassium (K+) channels. In this assay, a novel, highly-sensitive Tl+ indicator dye produces a bright fluorescent signal proportional to the number of potassium channels in the open state providing a functional indication of the potassium channel activities.

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