Mithras – now even more versatile with TRF

Berthold Technologies announced the availability of Time-Resolved Fluorescence technology with the multimode microplate reader Mithras LB 940 at BIOTECHNICA 2007.

Again, Berthold has based its development on DOPS – Dedicated Optical Path System. A separate and optimized optical system for TRF has been implemented in Mithras. Hence Mithras shows extremely good performance for TRF labels with sensitivities known from dedicated instruments.

Mithras LB 940 now offers all technologies used in today´s research:
• Absorbance
• Luminescence
• BRET
• AlphaScreen™
• Fluorescence
• FRET
• Fluorescence Polarisation (FP)
• Time-Resolved Fluorescence

The Time-Resolved Fluorescence module uses a high-power flash lamp. Together with an extremely optimised optical design the performance is excellent (<5 attomoles Eu) and will set new standards in time-resolved measurements. Popular kinase and cytokine assays can now be run with even better performance.

Optical emission filters can be used in Mithras´s high-efficiency luminescence optics (< 20 attomoles ATP) to get unsurpassed results in BRET such as functional assays for GPCR research and multicolour luminescence such as luciferase reporter gene assays.

Alphascreen™ can be measured on the Mithras multimode reader, too. With a 680 nm laser for excitation and a photomulitiplier in photon counting mode, the instrument provides outstanding sensitivity.

Mithras can be supplemented with up to 4 reagent injectors – based on the proven and highly precise JET technology – and a temperature control unit for the microplates. That offers extensive opportunities to the users to perform a huge number of applications including enzyme activities, phagocytosis, calcium flux, cell viability, apoptosis, protein and DNA determinations or protein-protein interactions.

The software is supporting a multitude of functions including standard curves and kinetic data reduction and meets the 21 CFR part 11 requirements.

For higher throughput Mithras LB 940 may be equipped with the Stacker unit LB 931 or the BUTLER LB 930 plate handler or can be integrated into a laboratory automation system.