SpectraMax L Microplate Reader

ATP-based cell viability assays

Luminescent ATP assays for cell viability and cytotoxicity provide a sensitive and rapid way to measure the number of viable cells in culture and quantify the cytotoxic effects of experimental treatments. These assays can be done in a high-throughput format using SpectraMax® microplate readers.

Learn about the CellTiter-Glo Luminescent Cell Viability Assay and more:

• Luminescent cell viability and cytotoxicity assays on the SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
• Measure cancer cell viability using a homogeneous, stable luminescence assay

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.

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Cellular Signaling

Cellular signaling allows cells to respond to their environment as well as to communicate with other cells. Proteins located on the cell surface can receive signals from the surroundings and transmit information into the cell via a series of protein interactions and biochemical reactions that comprise a signaling pathway. Multicellular organisms rely upon an extensive array of signaling pathways to coordinate the proper growth, regulation, and functioning of cells and tissues. If signaling between or within cells is dysregulated, inappropriate cellular responses may lead to cancer and other diseases.

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Chemiluminescent ELISA

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are a family of secreted polypeptides that have been implicated in mammalian vascular development and in disease processes involving abnormal blood vessel growth.

Learn more about chemiluminescent ELISA method using our luminometer and data acquisition and analysis software:

• Chemiluminescent VEGF ELISA Using the SpectraMax L Microplate Luminometer

Cytotoxicity

Cytotoxicity is often measured in response to an experimental treatment or potential drug. Having a way to easily screen cytotoxicity in treated cells is critical to identifying new therapeutic treatments or understanding cellular signaling pathways that affect cell health. Common indicators of cytotoxicity include the ATP level in a cell population and integrity of cellular membranes, both of which can be measured using a variety of microplate-based assays.

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Cytotoxicity Assays

Cytotoxicity is often measured in response to an experimental treatment or potential drug. Having a way to easily screen cytotoxicity in treated cells is critical to identifying new therapeutic treatments or understanding cellular signaling pathways that affect cell health. Common indicators of cytotoxicity include the ATP level in a cell population and integrity of cellular membranes, both of which can be measured using a variety of microplate-based assays.

Learn more about cytotoxicity in cells:

• Cytotoxicity in Cells: Easy Determination Using Lonza ViaLight Plus and ToxiLight BioAssays on the SpectraMax L Microplate Luminometer

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.

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Luminescence

Learn about luminescence detection – what it is, how it works, and the advantages of luminescence over other detection modes. We’ll cover key luminescence-based assays including dual-luciferase reporter gene, chemiluminescent ELISA, cytotoxicity, and BRET.

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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.

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Mycoplasma Monitoring

Mycoplasma, the smallest and simplest of the prokaryotes, are common contaminants of cell cultures. Symptoms of mycoplasma contamination include a reduction in the rate of proliferation and changes in cellular responses, including gene expression

Learn how the MycoAlert Assay and MycoAlert PLUS Assay from Lonza provide a rapid and convenient way to detect viable mycoplasma in cell cultures using a luminescence microplate reader

• MycoAlert Mycoplasma Detection Assays on Molecular Devices Microplate Readers

NanoBRET/BRET

BRET (bioluminescence resonance energy transfer) is a technique for measuring protein-protein or protein-ligand interactions that involves the interaction of a bioluminescent donor and a fluorescent acceptor.

Detection of NanoBRET signals, and analysis of the resulting data, requires sensitive instrumentation and advanced software. Register to learn more:

• Measure p53-MDM2 protein interaction with NanoBRET technology
• NanoBRET Technology on the SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

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.

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Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen. In eukaryotes, these molecules are mainly created during aerobic respiration and can cause problems, such as DNA damage and lipid peroxidation, resulting in cellular damage.  

We demonstrate how SpectraMax microplate readers can be used to accurately quantify ROS levels using a luminescence-based assay:

• Measuring reactive oxygen species with SpectraMax microplate readers

Reporter Gene Assay

Reporter gene assays enable researchers to determine whether a gene is expressed and at what level. They are used to study signaling pathways, gene regulation, structure of regulatory elements, and much more. A reporter gene vector consists of a promoter or gene of interest, along with a reporter gene such as firefly luciferase, which codes for a protein whose activity can be easily measured. The vector is transfected into mammalian cells, and when the gene of interest is active in the cells, the reporter gene is also expressed and can be measured using appropriate detection reagents.

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Single/Dual -Luciferase Reporter Gene Assays

Reporter gene assays are important tools for studying gene expression associated with the activation of cellular pathways. Cells are transfected with a plasmid containing the reporter gene and a sequence of interest, typically a promoter or other transcriptional control element. When the promoter is activated, the reporter gene is expressed and its levels can be measured.

Learn more about dual luciferase reporter gene assay:

• Monitor NF-kB activation with a sensitive dual reporter assay on the SpectraMax iD5 microplate reader*
• Detect dual luciferase expression on the FlexStation 3 microplate reader
• Dual-Luciferase assays in 96- and 384-well formats on the SpectraMax L
• Measuring luciferase expression using the SpectraMax Glo Steady-Luc Reporter Assay Kit