Gemini XPS and EM Microplate Readers

cAMP Assays (GPCR)

Monitoring levels of cAMP, a second messenger produced in response to activation of adenylate cyclase, is one of the most common ways to screen for agonists and antagonists of Gi/Gs protein-coupled receptors. cAMP levels can be monitored using fluorescent molecules that bind to cAMP and are detected using a fluorescence plate reader.

Here are a few application notes on cAMP assays (GPCR) you may find of interest:

• Complete cAMP workflow solution using the CatchPoint cAMP Fluorescent Assay Kit
• HTRF cAMP HiRange Assay on SpectraMax Multi-Mode Microplate Readers

Caspase-3 Apoptosis Assays

Apoptosis is a highly regulated cellular program that causes cell death in normal processes such as embryonic development, as well as diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative conditions. Assays for apoptosis can be performed using a variety of imaging or microplate reader detection systems and provide valuable information on normal and disease-related mechanisms of cell death.

Learn about a Caspase-3 single-step, homogenous assay that is specifically designed for microplate readers:

• EarlyTox Caspase-3/7 R110 Assay Kit on SpectraMax Fluorescence Microplate Readers

Cell Health

Cell viability refers to the number of healthy cells in a population and can be evaluated using assays that measure enzyme activity, cell membrane integrity, ATP production, and other indicators. These methods can employ luminescent, fluorescent, or colorimetric readouts as indicators of general cell viability or even specific cellular pathways. Cytotoxicity and cell viability assays are often used to assess a drug or other treatment’s effect, and are valuable tools in the search for new therapeutics, as well as advancing our understanding of how normal cells function.

Learn more 

Cell Proliferation Assays

Quantitation of cell proliferation using fluorescence allows one to easily monitor the effects of drugs and other experimental treatments on cell growth.

This application note describes two assay methods of a cell prolfieration. In the first, cellular proliferation is quantitated using a cell-based standard curve. In the second, cellular proliferation is quantitated using RNase-treated cell samples and a DNA standard curve.

• Measuring cell proliferation using the CyQUANT Cell Proliferation Assay with SpectraMax Microplate Readers

Cytotoxicity Assays

Development of predictive in vitro assays suitable for safety and efficacy testing is of high interest for improving the drug development process and reducing drug attrition. There has been great interest in using stem cells as tools for screening compounds during early drug development.

In this scientific poster, we present results obtained from one of our multi-mode plate readers for performing toxicity assessment of various compounds using stem cell-derived cell models in a high throughput manner:

• High Throughput Cell Based Assays for Toxicity Assessment using SpectraMax^® Paradigm Plate Reader

EarlyTox Cell Viability Assay Kits

Cell viability assays are critical to a broad spectrum of research areas ranging from investigation into the mechanisms of cell death to the development of new therapeutics targeting apoptosis in diseases. One of the most popular detection technologies for cell viability is a fluorescence microplate reader.

Here are a few applications you may find of interest:

• Measuring cell health on the SpectraMax iD3 reader with cell viability assays
• EarlyTox Live/Dead Assay Kit on SpectraMax Fluorescence Microplate Readers
• EarlyTox Caspase-3/7 R110 Assay Kit on SpectraMax Fluorescence Microplate Readers
• EarlyTox Glutathione Assay Kit on SpectraMax Fluorescence Microplate Readers

ELISA

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are used to measure the amount of a specific protein, using a microplate format, and results are most often detected via absorbance in the visible wavelength range. Chemiluminescent and fluorescent ELISA formats offer enhanced sensitivity for accurate quantitation of less abundant analytes.

Learn more 

Fluorescence

Learn all about fluorescence detection – what it is, how it works, and the instruments used to measure the fluorescence of a sample. We also cover many fluorescence-based assays including cell viability, GPCR activity, and fluorescent nucleic acid quantification.

Learn more  

Fluorescent Protein Detection

Fluorescent proteins have become enormously popular as tools for monitoring biological events in vivo. In addition to green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, there are now numerous others available from other species of jellyfish and reef coral. These proteins can be expressed in a diverse range of cells and organisms, where they are used to track many cellular processes, including protein synthesis and translocation, gene induction, and cell lineage.

Read Application Note 

Fluorescent Protein Quantitation

Proteins inside eukaryotic cells exist in a dynamic state, in a highly-regulated balance between synthesis and degradation. Whereas protein synthesis is well-understood after decades of study, major advances in our knowledge of protein degradation have occurred only in the last two decades.

Learn more about fluorescent protein in our application note:

• Measurement of Proteosome Inhibition in Live Cells on the Analyst® GT, FLEXstation® and Gemini EM Microplate Readers Using the BD Biosciences Proteasome Sensor
• Using the NanoOrange Protein Kit with SpectraMax Microplate Readers

Microbiology and Contaminant

Microbes, including bacteria, have been estimated to make up about 15 percent of the earth’s biomass, and microbes in the human body outnumber human cells by 10 to 1. These microorganisms provide great benefit to us and are also vital to many fields of research from medicine to alternative energy production. On the other hand, monitoring for microbes and the toxic substances they produce is necessary to ensure the safety of pharmaceutical products. Scientists whose research relies on mammalian cells must carefully monitor these cultures for unwanted microbial contaminants to ensure that their experimental results are reliable.

Learn more 

Nucleic Acid (DNA/RNA) Quantitation and Analysis

Nucleic acids are large biomolecules common to all known life forms. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) consists of a double strand of pairs of nucleotides, while ribonucleic acid (RNA) is typically a single strand. In DNA, the nucleotides are adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine, while RNA contains uracil instead of thymine. DNA makes up the genetic material of all organisms, encoding the information cells need to synthesize proteins.

Learn more 

Protein Detection, Quantitation and Analysis

Protein detection, quantitation, and analysis are central to the investigation of a wide variety of biological processes. Measuring the concentration of protein is necessary to processes ranging from protein purification and labeling to sample preparation for electrophoresis. Protein can be quantitated directly via absorbance at 280 nm, or indirectly using colorimetric (BCA, Bradford, etc.) or fluorometric methods offering advantages such as greater sensitivity. To identify and measure a specific protein within a complex sample, for example, serum or cell lysate, an ELISA may be used.

Learn more 

Tryptophan detection

The intrinsic fluorescence of proteins is due to the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. Tryptophan dominates the emission of proteins and is the most sensitive to solvent polarity and the local environment. Analysis of changes in tryptophan fluorescence can yield information on protein denaturation and conformation.

In these application notes, we demonstrate performance of the SpectraMax® multi-mode microplate readers for assays measuring intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence.

• Measure intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence on the SpectraMax iD3 microplate reader
• Intrinsic tryptophan detection with the SpectraMax i3 Multi-Mode Microplate Platform