Unlimited breadth of user-upgradeable application modules expands research capabilities

 

The SpectraMax® i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader measures absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence with available upgrades including western blot, cell imaging, and fast kinetics with injectors plus additional detection modes. With the SpectraMax® MiniMax™ 300 Imaging Cytometer, industry-leading SoftMax® Pro Software, and user-configurable detection modules, the reader provides you with the ability to explore cellular pathways and protein expression on one microplate reader.

  • Capture flash assays with ease

    Capture flash assays with ease

    The SpectraMax i3x Injector Cartridge with SmartInject® Technology expands your research capabilities to include flash-based applications including dual luciferase and ATP assays.

  • Reduce background noise

    Reduce background noise

    The cooled PMT reduces background noise allowing for a more sensitive, wide dynamic range in extremely low light.

  • Increase fluorescence performance

    Increase fluorescence performance

    Powerful combination of Xenon flash lamp and LEDs provides unmatched signal strength and superior sensitivity with Spectral Fusion™ Illumination.

SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Detection Platform

SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Detection Platform

Features

  • Expandable Icon

    User-configurable applications

    User-configurable detection modules expand the reader’s detection capabilities to include AlphaScreen, Time-Resolved Fluorescence, HTRF, fast kinetics with injectors, western blot detection, and more.

  • Picks Icon

    No-stain cell analysis

    The StainFree™ Cell Detection Algorithm for brightfield cell segmentation enables cell counting and confluency measurement without destructive stains, simplifying the cell counting workflow.

  • Flexibility Icon

    Multi-channel functionality

    Two fluorescence detection channels on the MiniMax cytometer enable the analysis of cell viability or cell toxicity assays, including ratiometric assays like live-dead and transfection efficiency.

  • Analysis Icon

    Cellular pathway analysis

    Cell confluence and cell viability imaging, western blot analysis, and quantitation of nucleic acids and protein, can be captured on one reader.

Add Cellular Imaging to your Plate Reader Workflow

 

Observe the viability of your cells with the field-upgradeable cellular imaging option for the SpectraMax i3x Multi-mode Detection Platform.

The field-upgradeable SpectraMax® MiniMax™ 300 Imaging Cytometer enables quick imaging and analysis of cells and gives you a front-row view of phenotypic changes that accompany cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, and protein expression. Now with StainFree™ Cell counting Technology, additional brightfield analysis features, and fluorescent green and red detection channels.

Learn more

spectraMax-i3

 

 

 

 

Assure data integrity and compliance with confidence

Our comprehensive suite of proven compliance solutions for GMP/GLP labs can advance your efforts to quickly and confidently establish a compliant laboratory.

  • Best-in-class microplate readers and washers support all your assay needs
  • IQ/OQ/PM services preserve instrument documentation in a digital and compliant format
  • Software installation services verify and document that required components are installed to operational speci?cations
  • Software validation service supports FDA 21 CFR Part 11 guidelines
  • Validation plates test the performance of your microplate reader using traceable materials for reliable results
GxP compliance solutions for GMP-GLP labs

 

Latest Resources

118

Applications of SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

  • Absorbance

    Absorbance

    Learn all about absorbance detection – how it works, how it’s measured, and how it can be used to calculate concentration. We also provide information on common absorbance applications and assays including ELISAs, nucleic acid and protein quantitation, and microbial growth.

    Learn more 

    AlphaScreen

    AlphaScreen Technology

    AlphaScreen® Technology is a homogeneous, high-throughput method for detecting intramolecular binding. Donor and acceptor beads are attached to biomolecules, and when the beads are brought into proximity (via binding), a cascade of chemical reactions occurs, amplifying a signal that is detected on the SpectraMax® i3x and Paradigm® Multi-Mode Microplate Readers.

    Read Application Note 

  • Cell Health

    cell-viability-proliferation

    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 Imaging > Cell Cycle Analysis

    Cell Cycle Analysis

    Transition of a cell through the cell cycle can be monitored using fluorescently labeled cell cycle proteins that are cyclically expressed and degraded. FUCCI technology is based on the overexpression the cell cycle-dependent proteins geminin and Cdt1, respectively fused to a green fluorophore and a red fluorophore. Cdt1 levels peak in G1 phase, so cells in G1 appear green; geminin levels rise in late S, G2 and M phase, so cells in these phases appear red.

    Read Application Note 

  • Cell Imaging > Cell Migration

    Cell Migration Imaging

    Cell migration, the movement of cells from one location to another, is a critical component of both normal and abnormal biological processes. The migration of fluorescently labeled cells from one area of a microplate well to another can be monitored using a cellular imaging system. Automated analysis software calculates the amount of cell migration in each well.

    Read Application Note 

    Cellular Signaling

    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.

    Learn more 

  • Drug Discovery & Development

    Drug Discovery & Development

    The drug discovery landscape is shifting, with more scientists centering cell line development, disease models, and high-throughput screening methods around physiologically-relevant 3D cell models. The reason for this is clear: Using cellular model systems in research that closely mimic patient disease states or human organs can bring life-saving therapeutics to market – faster.

    Learn more  

    ELISA

    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

    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  

    Fluorescence Polarization (FP)

    Fluorescence Polarization

    Fluorescence polarization (FP) is a technique that is widely used to monitor binding events in solution. It can be used to assess biomolecular interactions, including protein-antibody binding and DNA hybridization, as well as enzyme activity, and it has been adapted to basic research as well as high-throughput screening.

    Learn more  

  • IgG Quantification

    Immunoglobin High throughput IgG Quantification

    In therapeutic protein engineering and cell line development, IgG quantification is the process of measuring the amount of immunoglobulin G (IgG), a common class of therapeutic proteins, produced by a genetically modified cell line. This is important for evaluating and monitoring the productivity of the cell line and selecting the best candidate for further development of therapeutic antibodies.

    Kinase/Phosphatase Assays

    Kinase/Phosphatase Assays

    Kinases are one of the most critical targets in drug discovery today. These enzymes are key components in cellular signaling pathways, and disruption to their function causes a variety of diseases, such as metabolic diseases, certain cancers, and cardiac disease. The functionally related phosphatases and phosphodiesterases are also important screening targets.

    Read Application Note 

  • Luminescence

    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.

    Learn more  

    Microbiology and Contaminant

    microbiology-contaminant-monitor

    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 

  • Nanoparticles

    Nanoparticles Mammalian Cells

    Nanomaterials are typically less than 100 nm in diameter, small enough to penetrate mammalian cells. They can be synthesized in many shapes, such as rods, tubes, and particles, as well as in different materials. Targeting or therapeutic molecules can be readily attached to nanoparticles, and when these are delivered systemically, the targeting molecules enable detection of certain cell populations, such as tumor cells, while attached therapeutic compounds can act on the targeted cells.

    Read Application Note 

    Nucleic Acid (DNA/RNA) Quantitation and Analysis

    Nucleic Acid

    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

    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 

    Spheroids in 3D biology

    3d Minimax

    Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, but researchers are making enormous strides towards understanding its underlying mechanisms and working towards new treatments. Spheroids, 3D aggregates of cells in culture, have emerged as a valuable research tool that provides more physiological relevance than traditional 2D cell culture.

    Learn how spheroids formed using a variety of cancer cell types are analyzed on the SpectraMax® i3x microplate reader with MiniMax™ cytometer using methods featured in our application notes:

  • TRF, TR-FRET & HTRF

    Time-resolved

    Learn all about time-resolved fluorescence – TRF and TR-FRET including HTRF assays. We’ll provide applications resources to aid in your research, including kinase assays, cellular signaling pathways, protein-protein interactions, cell cytotoxicity, and more.

    Learn more  

    Western blotting

    Western Blot Detection

    Western blotting is a popular technique used for protein detection and quantitation. Learn about the various techniques used to detect proteins on western blot membranes including colorimetric, fluorescence, and chemiluminescence. We’ll also introduce you to a novel, first-of-its-kind western blot detection system on a multi-mode microplate reader.

    Learn more 

Specifications & Options of SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

 

*Using lowest settings and speed read when available.

Resources of SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

Presentations
Videos & Webinars
SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Detection Platform

SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Detection Platform

Small Lab, Big Challenges

Small Lab, Big Challenges - How the Right Reader can Impact Productivity

Choosing the Right Microplate Reader

Critical Considerations for Choosing the Right Microplate Reader

Quantitation Platform for Clone Screening

High-throughput IgG quantitation platform for clone screening during drug discovery and development

Stable Cell Line Development Workflow

Stable Cell Line Development Workflow

Immunology and Vaccine Development Workflow

Immunology and Vaccine Development Workflow

Hybridoma Workflow

Hybridoma Workflow

Read-Copy-Paste-Analyze. Repeat... Sound familiar

Urban myths of microplate readers: Read-Copy-Paste-Analyze. Repeat... Sound familiar?

Beyond the basics

Urban myths of microplate readers: Beyond the basics - real time, resolving time and transferring energy

manual says I need to be excited at 490nm

Urban myths of microplate readers: “Optimization? But the manual says I need to be excited at 490nm!"

Urban myths of microplate readers

Urban myths of microplate readers: OD, RFU or RLU - What exactly are they and why bigger is not always better!

Decisions, decisions and how to be less confused

Urban myths of microplate readers: Which microplate reader? Decisions, decisions and how to be less confused!

Expanding Assay Applications with Multi-Mode Readers

Expanding Assay Applications with Multi-Mode Readers from ELISA to AlphaScreen

SpectraMax i3x

Microplate based Detection

Accelerating study of viral infection and therapeutics with microplate-based detection and high-throughput screening

How to configure an ELISA endpoint protocol

How to configure an ELISA endpoint protocol

Magnetic 3D

Magnetic 3D Bioprinting, 3D Cell Culture in a 2D Workflow

Novel in Vitro Assay Tools for Cardiac Toxicity and Discovery

Novel in Vitro Assay Tools for Cardiac Toxicity and Discovery

Novel Ways to Monitor Cell Growth and Cytotoxicity: StainFree Technology

Novel Ways to Monitor Cell Growth and Cytotoxicity: StainFree Technology

SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader Detection Platform

SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader Detection Platform

  • Citation
    Dated: Apr 18, 2017
    Publication Name: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

    Nano-Pulse Stimulation is a physical modality that can trigger immunogenic tumor cell death

    We have been developing a non-thermal, drug-free tumor therapy called Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS) that delivers ultrashort electric pulses to tumor cells which eliminates the tumor and inhibits secondary tumor growth. We hypothesized that the mechanism for inhibiting secondary tumor growth involves stimulating an adaptive immune response via an… View more

    We have been developing a non-thermal, drug-free tumor therapy called Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS) that delivers ultrashort electric pulses to tumor cells which eliminates the tumor and inhibits secondary tumor growth. We hypothesized that the mechanism for inhibiting secondary tumor growth involves stimulating an adaptive immune response via an immunogenic form of apoptosis, commonly known as immunogenic cell death (ICD). ICD is characterized by the emission of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that serve to recruit immune cells to the site of the tumor. Here we present evidence that NPS stimulates both caspase 3/7 activation indicative of apoptosis, as well as the emission of three critical DAMPs: ecto-calreticulin (CRT), ATP and HMGB1.

    Contributors: Richard Nuccitelli, Amanda McDaniel, Snjezana Anand, John Cha, Zachary Mallon, Jon Casey Berridge & Darrin Uecker  
    Go to article

  • Citation
    Dated: Nov 12, 2014
    Publication Name: Journal of Neuroscience

    ATP13A2/PARK9 Regulates Secretion of Exosomes and α-Synuclein

    Kufor–Rakeb syndrome (KRS) is caused by loss-of-function mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9) and characterized by juvenile-onset parkinsonism, pyramidal signs, and cognitive decline. Previous studies suggested that PARK9 deficiency causes lysosomal dysfunction and α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation, whereas PARK9 overexpression suppresses toxicity of α-syn… View more

    Kufor–Rakeb syndrome (KRS) is caused by loss-of-function mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9) and characterized by juvenile-onset parkinsonism, pyramidal signs, and cognitive decline. Previous studies suggested that PARK9 deficiency causes lysosomal dysfunction and α-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation, whereas PARK9 overexpression suppresses toxicity of α-syn. However, the precise mechanism of PARK9 effect on lysosomes and α-syn has been unknown. Here, we found that overexpressed PARK9 localized to multivesicular bodies (MVBs) in the human H4 cell line. The results from patient fibroblasts showed that loss of PARK9 function leads to decreased number of the intraluminal vesicles in MVBs and diminished release of exosomes into culture media. By contrast, overexpression of PARK9 results in increased release of exosomes in H4 cells and mouse primary cortical neurons. Moreover, loss of PARK9 function resulted in decreased secretion of α-syn into extracellular space, whereas overexpressed PARK9 promotes secretion of α-syn, at least in part via exosomes. Finally, we found that PARK9 regulates exosome biogenesis through functional interaction with the endosomal sorting complex required for transport machinery. Together, these data suggest the involvement of PARK9 in the biogenesis of exosomes and α-syn secretion and raise a possibility that disruption of these pathways in patients with KRS contributes to the disease pathogenesis.

    Contributors: Taiji Tsunemi, Kana Hamada and Dimitri Krainc  
    Go to article

  • Citation
    Dated: Sep 03, 2013
    Publication Name: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

    Multiparametric Assays for Cardiomyocytes

    Stem Cells derived human cardiomyocytes have phenotypic characteristics and electrophysiological profiles similar to those of native human cardiac cells. View more

    Stem Cells derived human cardiomyocytes have phenotypic characteristics and electrophysiological profiles similar to those of native human cardiac cells.

    Contributors: Cathy Olsen, Jayne Hesley and Oksana Sirenko  
    Go to article

SpectraMax® i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader

SpectraMax® i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader System

System Options
Product Part Number
SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader with SoftMax Pro Software i3x
SpectraMax MiniMax 300 Imaging Cytometer 5024062
SoftMax Pro 7.x GxP Software by license bundle
SpectraTest (ABS2) Absorbance Validation Plate 0200-6191
SpectraTest (LM1) Luminescence Validation Plate 0200-6186
SpectraTest (FL1) Fluorescence Validation Plate 0200-5060
SpectraDrop Micro-Volume Starter Kit 0200-6262
SpectraDrop Micro-Volume HTS Kit 0200-6267
SpectraMax Detection Cartridge Options
Product Name Part Number
AlphaScreen Detection Cartridge (384 STD) 0200-7017POS
AlphaScreen Detection Cartridge (384 HTS) 0200-7018POS
AlphaScreen Detection Cartridge (1536 HTS) 0200-7019POS
HTRF Detection Cartridge 0200-7011POS
TRF Detection Cartridges 0200-7008POS
Fluorescence Polarization Detection Cartridge
(Fluorescein)
0200-7009POS
Fluorescence Polarization Detection Cartridge (Rhodamine) 0200-7010POS
Luminescence Detection Cartridge 
(Glow for 96-well plates)
0200-7014POS
Luminescence Detection Cartridge 
(Glow 96- and 384-well plates)
0200-7015POS
Luminescence Detection Cartridge 
(Glow 96-, 384-, and 1536-well plates)
0200-7012POS
Dual Glow Luminescence Detection Cartridge
(BRET2)
0200-7016POS
Fluorescence Intensity Detection Cartridge 
(Courmarin-Fluorescein)
0200-7002POS
Fluorescence Intensity Detection Cartridge
(Fluorescein-Rhodamine)
0200-7003POS
Fluorescence Intensity Detection Cartridge
(Cy3-Cy5)
0200-7004POS
ScanLater Western Blot Detection Cartridge 0200-7027
SpectraMax Injector Cartridge with SmartInject™ Technology 0200-0729

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