The SpectraMax® iD3 and iD5 Multi-Mode Microplate Readers measure absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence. In addition, the iD5 reader measures TRF and FP and can be expanded to include TR-FRET, HTRF®, BRET, dual luciferase reporter assays with injectors, and western blot detection.
With optimized reagents, option to operate the readers using the touchscreen or a computer, and industry-leading SoftMax® Pro Software, the readers provide an all access pass for breakthrough research.
Our comprehensive suite of proven compliance solutions for GMP/GLP labs can advance your efforts to quickly and confidently establish a compliant laboratory.
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.
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.
Cell viability can be assessed by examining parameters such as cell membrane integrity or the activity of cellular enzymes. On a microplate readers, these parameters can be detected using fluorescent reagents. For example, a red cell-impermeant, DNA-binding dye only stains dead or dying cells whose membranes are compromised, while a green live-cell dye only fluoresces when metabolic enzymes are active.
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.
The absorbance of a DNA sample measured at 260 nm on a spectrophotometer or microplate reader can be used to calculate its concentration. Absorbance quantitation works on samples ranging from about 0.25 ug/mL to about 125 ug/mL in a microplate format. Some instrumentation enables the quantitation of very small sample volumes, as little as 2 uL. When greater sensitivity is required, fluorescence methods allow quantitation of as little as a few picograms of DNA.
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 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.
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.
HTRF®, an assay technology developed by Cisbio, combines standard FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) with time-resolved measurement of fluorescence, eliminating short-lived background fluorescence. HTRF’s applications include assessment of small phosphorylated peptides, immunoassays for quantifying large glycoproteins, and indirect detection of tagged complexes such as CD28/CD86 via secondary antibodies. These homogeneous assays do not require wash steps and are amenable to small-volume microplate formats used in high-throughput screening.
(This assay is suitable for SpectraMax® iD5 and SpectraMax® Paradigm readers.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Brochure
Our solutions for antibody discovery and cell line development provide dedicated, scalable, and easy-to-use products for establishing clonal populations. The systems feature a selection…
Customer Breakthrough
The production of cow leather consumes vast quantities of energy and water and contributes to climate change via the emission of methane gas. To reduce the environmental impact of le…
Publications
According to Biocompare, “one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment in any lab is the microplate reader. While they play an important role in generating data from a wide range o…
Application Note
Accurate quantification of nucleic acid concentration is important for downstream applications including transfection, cloning, PCR, and next generation sequencing (NGS). Often, these…
Publications
The pharmaceutical world is a highly regulated environment. And for good reason. As a potential drug moves through the development process – from the in vitro discovery phase, to pre…
Blog
Advancements in genetic engineering and synthetic biology have allowed numerous breakthroughs in recent decades. The importance of cell line development needs an honorable mention.…
Application Note
For many years, two-dimensional (2D) cell culture involving cells grown in a monolayer on a flat culture surface has served as a convenient system for investigating disease mechanisms…
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As your lab’s needs expand, automating every step of an intricate workflow provides exponential value. From increased walk-away time and throughput to reduced human error and improved…
eBook
We understand what a challenging time this is for those who are working to get accelerated testing and medicines to the market as soon as possible and are committed to supporting sci…
Application Note
3D cellular models are increasingly popular in many areas of research because they recapitulate the cellular 3D microenvironment better than cells grown in 2D monolayer.
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Global research efforts are focused on understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus in order to develop potential therapies for COVID-19. Join us as we explore a scientific timeline of key…
eBook
Evaluating microplate readers doesn’t have to be overwhelming. First, consider your application needs. If your budget is modest, a single-mode reader dedicated to your main applicati…
Application Note
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has necessitated the fast-tracked development of many research tools for understanding this virus’s pathogenesis, as well…
Application Note
The MAPK/ERK cell signaling pathway begins with the activation of a receptor tyrosine kinase located at the cell surface, involves a series of kinase phosphorylation steps (kinase…
Publications
Lab Manager speaks to Dan O’Connor, vice president, drug discovery, Molecular Devices, about the company’s Organoid Innovation Center in San Jose, CA. The center is 180 sq. ft., with…
Publications
Molecular Devices, a provider of innovative life science technology, recently unveiled a brand new, first-of-its-kind Organoid Innovation Center. Situated at the company’s global hea…
Blog
The regulations for food and drug in the United States, described in the Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the EudraLex Annex 11 in EU, are critical in ensuring safe…
Application Note
As part of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, infected individuals produce virus-specific antibodies that are detectable in the blood within one to three weeks after the onset of…
Application Note
Viral infection of mammalian cells often reduces cell viability and causes visible effects upon the cells such as changes in shape or size, or fusion with adjacent cells. These changes…
Application Note
Biologic drugs are the largest and fastest growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry with sales of €500bn and an annual growth of 8%. Every manufacturing process for potential…
Customer Breakthrough
A UK centre of excellence for the bioscience industry
Opened in Spring 2019, the National Horizons Centre (NHC) is an exciting £22M state-of-the art, purpose-…
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For over 40 years, Molecular Devices has been at the forefront of technological advances which have contributed to significant scientific breakthroughs. To kick off the new year, we…
Application Note
Double-stranded DNA is typically quantitated in microplate readers by measuring the absorbance of the DNA solution at 260 nm. However, this method is only able to measure down to about…
eBook
Immunology is now, more than anytime in recent history, one of the top fields of research. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) continue to enjoy intense interest as potential therapeutics.…
Blog
Over the past three decades, ELISA or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, has become vital to many areas of research and has shown to have many applications—from detecting food and…
Application Note
The Tag-lite HTRF platform from Cisbio enables efficient labeling of proteins of interest on targeted sites with HTRF fluorophores. A cell surface receptor can be inserted into a SNAP-…
Infographic
ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a method used to quantitatively detect an antigen within a sample. An antigen is a toxin or other foreign substance, for example a flu vi…
Customer Breakthrough
The main goal of Dr. Grégory Lavieu’s group at the Université de Paris is to understand at both cellular and molecular levels how Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), also called exosomes,…
Application Note
As a laboratory’s requirements often change according to ongoing research needs, having a multi-mode microplate reader that offers multiple detection modes such as absorbance,…
Customer Breakthrough
RiboPro is a spin-off of Dutch biotechnology company Mercurna. Based in The Netherlands, the RiboPro team design and produce high-quality messenger RNA (mRNA) for academic and indust…
Application Note
HTRF® is a versatile technology developed by Cisbio Bioassays for detecting biomolecular interactions.
Application Note
This technical note is designed to provide information to help the user define the optimal experimental conditions for converting existing assays to a robust fluorescence polarization…
Brochure
The SpectraMax® i Series Multi-Mode Mode Microplate Readers offer the ideal solution for any application or budget. Whether you are looking for an intuitive, easy-to-use reader for y…
eBook
HTRF® is a versatile TR-FRET technology developed by Cisbio for detecting biomolecular interactions. Assays encompass the areas of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), kinases and cel…
Application Note
When comparing instruments, one must choose a metric by which to measure their performance. Typically, one is interested in how “sensitive” an instrument is, but sensitivity can be…
Application Note
Control Standard Endotoxin (CSE) was reconstituted with the volume of LAL reagent water (LRW) indicated on the Certificate of Analysis included with the kit to yield a solution of 100…
Application Note
HTRF assays from Cisbio have evolved to encompass the areas of G protein-coupled receptors, kinases and cell signaling, epigenetics, and biomarkers.
Application Note
Transcreener® HTS is a universal, high throughput biochemical assay platform based on the detection of nucleotides, which are formed by thousands of cellular enzymes—many of which…
Customer Breakthrough
Studies carried out in the “Peptide Synthesis and Functional Screening” department of the Cell Imaging Platform of the University of Rouen in Haute-Normandie (…
Application Note
Transcreener® HTS is a universal, highthroughput, biochemical assay platform based on the detection of nucleotides, which are formed by thousands of cellular enzymes. Many of these…
Flyer
ATP standards ranging from 1 μM to 1 pM were prepared as a 10-fold serial dilution series in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). 50 μL of standard was pipetted into the wells of a white…
Application Note
HTRF® is a versatile technology developed by Cisbio for detecting biomolecular interactions.
Application Note
As cannabis is legalized in more states across the US, state agencies are setting their own regulations and requirements for growers, retailers, and testing laboratories. For example,…
Application Note
Luminescent cell viability assays offer sensitivity and an easy workflow for monitoring the effects of various experimental conditions.
Application Note
Cisbio’s Custom Solutions Laboratory team has worked in collaboration with Molecular Devices to generate relevant data promoting the expert profiling service activity completed by…
Application Note
Macrophages originate from blood monocytes that leave the circulation and penetrate various tissues where they differentiate into macrophages.
Application Note
We describe validation of the SpectraMax® iD5 reader with the NanoBRET™ PPI Control Pair, consisting of the interacting protein partners p53 and MDM2.
Application Note
Learn how to quantitate a cellular protein sample with BCA protein assay kits on the SpectraMax® iD5 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader.
Scientific Poster
Macrophages originate from blood monocytes that leave the circulation to differentiate into various tissues. Macrophages are involved in the detection and phagocytosis of bacteria an…
Application Note
CatchPoint SimpleStep ELISA kits give users a 90-minute ELISA workflow, a nearly two-thirds reduction in time compared to conventional ELISAs.
eBook
Study protein-protein interaction to cell cycle analysis in spheroids with patented microplate reader technologies.…
Application Note
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen resulting from aerobic cellular metabolism. These chemical species are involved in cellular processes…
Application Note
Many biological experiments require monitoring cell growth or measuring enzymatic changes over long periods of time (hours, days or even weeks). In addition, certain model organisms…
Application Note
The intrinsic fluorescence of proteins is due to the aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. Tryptophan, which excites maximally around 270-280 nm and has an…
Application Note
Measuring cell health from the multiple vantage points of viability and apoptotic pathways can provide insight into the impacts of a variety of experimental treatments including drug…
Application Note
Reporter genes are valuable tools for studying gene expression, serving as surrogates for genes involved in various signaling pathways and disease conditions. Luciferases are the most…
Application Note
Ultraviolet (UV) measurements in microplates became possible when Molecular Devices introduced the first UV-capable microplate reader. Since then, microplate measurements of DNA, RNA,…
Application Note
In this application note we show how the SpectraMax® Paradigm® Multi-Mode Microplate Reader is used to perform robust, no-wash cytokine assays with excellent Z’ factors. HTRF® is a…
Brochure
Five-mode microplate reader with automatic filter identification and western blot capability The SpectraMax® iD5 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader is the complete laboratory solution to h…
Application Note
Neurons create connections via extensions of their cellular body called dendrites or “processes”. This biological phenomena is referred to as neurite outgrowth and is regulated by…
Application Note
Traditional ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) methods using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) substrate 3,3’,5,5’- tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) often fail to detect low abundance…
Application Note
The 21st century laboratory has become a fast-paced environment characterized by frequent changes in assay technology and increased employee turnover, leaving less time for complex…
Application Note
Protein detection is important for pharmaceutical and clinical research today, and western blots are among the most common methods employed for this purpose. Various techniques are…
Brochure
The SpectraMax® iD3 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader is the cornerstone of a complete laboratory solution to help you expand the boundaries of your research capabilities. With optimized…
Overview of SpectraMax iD3 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Getting to know your new SpectraMax iD3
New SpectraMax iD5 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
SpectraMax iD5 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
How to move from time-consuming processes to efficient workflows with lab automation solutions
Small Lab, Big Challenges - How the Right Reader can Impact Productivity
Enhancing 3D Disease Models: Automated, High-Throughput, Phenotypic Screening with Organ-on-a-Chip
Critical Considerations for Choosing the Right Microplate Reader
Immunology and Vaccine Development Workflow
Hybridoma Workflow
Urban myths of microplate readers: Read-Copy-Paste-Analyze. Repeat... Sound familiar?
Urban myths of microplate readers: Beyond the basics - real time, resolving time and transferring energy
Urban myths of microplate readers: “Optimization? But the manual says I need to be excited at 490nm!"
Urban myths of microplate readers: OD, RFU or RLU - What exactly are they and why bigger is not always better!
Urban myths of microplate readers: Which microplate reader? Decisions, decisions and how to be less confused!
Expanding Assay Applications with Multi-Mode Readers from ELISA to AlphaScreen
Accelerating study of viral infection and therapeutics with microplate-based detection and high-throughput screening
How to configure an ELISA endpoint protocol
SpectraMax iD3
SpectraMax iD5
Viewing Results on SpectraMax iD3 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Starting a Plate Read using SpectraMax iD3 Multi Mode
Personalizing Your SpectraMax iD3
Viewing Results on the SpectraMax iD5
Starting a Plate Read on the Spectramax iD5
Personalizing Your SpectraMax iD5
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*Source: https://scholar.google.com/
Spinal metastases are common in cancer. This preferential migration/growth in the spine is not fully understood. Dura has been shown to affect the surrounding microenvironment and promote cancer growth. Here, we investigate the role of dural cytokines in promoting the metastatic potential of prostate cancer (PCa) and the involvement of the CXCR2 signaling pathway.
Human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) play a vital role in wound healing, oral cancer, and are among the first cells being exposed to e-cigarette vapor (eCV) or cigarette smoke (CS) during inhalation. Although the cell-damaging effect of CS has been well studied, the effects of eCV on gingival cells are still unclear. The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the effects of eCV and CS on HGF in terms of proliferation, metabolic activity, cell death, and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) on effective antiretroviral therapy are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, possibly due to off-target drug effects. Some studies have associated antiretroviral therapy with increased risk of myocardial infarction and endothelial dysfunction, but a link between endothelial function and antiretrovirals has not been established.
SARS-CoV-2 is the novel coronavirus discovered in 2019 (2019-nCoV) that is responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first observed in China. SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for pandemic-level infections globally, including the United States [1]. To induce COVID-19, the spike 1 (S1) subunit attaches to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptors on the cellular surface of the human respiratory tract [2].
Environmental xenoestrogens are the most accessible endocrine disrupting chemicals that have been reported with harmful effects on human health. Although the influences of xenoestrogens on the endocrine system have been extensively studied, it remains unclear whether these xenoestrogens can affect the digestive system in mammals. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects and the underlying mechanism of six non-steroidal synthetic estrogens (including hexestrol, diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol, bisphenol A, bisphenol AF and bisphenol Z) on pancreatic lipase (PL), a key digestive enzyme responsible for lipid digestion and absorption in mammals. The results clearly demonstrated that hexestrol, diethylstilbestrol and dienestrol exhibited strong inhibition on PL, with the IC50 values of less than 1.0 μM. Further investigations elucidated that these three synthetic estrogens functioned as mixed inhibitors of PL, with the Ki values of less than 1 μM. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations showed that diethylstilbestrol and its analogues might block the binding of substrate on PL via occupying the portal to the active site of PL and thereby inhibit the hydrolytic activity of this key enzyme. Collectively, these results suggested that diethylstilbestrol and its analogues were potent PL inhibitors, which might play a profound role in lipid absorption and weight gain in mammals.
Boscalid is a widely used fungicide in agriculture and has been frequently detected in both environments and agricultural products. However, evidence on the neurotoxic effect of boscalid is scarce. In this study, zebrafish served as an animal model to investigate the toxic effects and mechanisms of boscalid on aquatic vertebrates or higher animals. And we unravelled that boscalid induced developmental defects associated with oxidative stress. Developmental defects, including head deformity, hypopigmentation, decreased number of newborn neurons, structural defects around the ventricle, enlarged intercellular space in the brain, and nuclear concentration, were observed in zebrafish embryos after boscalid exposure at 48 hpf. Interestingly, we found that boscalid might directly induce oxidative stress and alter the activity of ATPase, which in turn disrupted the expression of genes involved in neurodevelopment and transmitter-transmitting signalings and melanocyte differentiation and melanin synthesis signalings. Ultimately, the differentiation of nerve cells and melanocytes were both impacted and the synthesis of melanin was inhibited, leading to morphological abnormalities. Additionally, exposure to boscalid led to less and imbalance motion and altered tendency of locomotor in larval fish. Collectively, our results provide new evidences for a comprehensive assessment of its toxicity and a warning for its residues in environment and agricultural products.