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Molecular Devices Partners with Roche to Develop Custom Ruthenium Nano-TRF® Detection Platform

Molecular Devices®
3 Nov 2014
Sarah Thomas
Associate Editor

Product news

The custom technologies arm of Molecular Devices, a leader in bioanalytical systems for drug discovery, life science research, and bioassay development, has partnered with the Discovery Technologies team at the Roche Innovation Center Basel of Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) to develop a high-throughput detection system for drug discovery screens employing Roche’s proprietary Ruthenium-based nanosecond time resolved fluorescence (Nano-TRF®) assays. The pRED screening teams in Basel and Shanghai are now installing the custom-developed Nano-TRF® cartridge in their existing Molecular Devices SpectraMax® Paradigm® multimode microplate readers and will receive on-demand delivery of new cartridges and continuing global technical support.

Nano-TRF® is a robust, Ruthenium-based time-resolved assay used in high-throughput screening for drug discovery. Ruthenium-based dyes combine the advantages of the Lanthanide (e.g. Eu, Tb) based time-resolved detection and nanosecond fluorophores: the high quantum efficiency Ruthenium-dyes have bright far-red signals with low background due to time resolved detection, do not require strong UV excitation but rather can be excited with visible light, are chemically robust, and have proven and stable detection in many biological matrices. However, the instrumentation for proper and scalable implementation of Ruthenium Nano-TRF® had not previously been developed.

“We make the instruments that only existed as ideal specs in a team meeting or a protocol draft,” says Shawn M M Laymon, VP of Molecular Devices Global Services & Custom Solutions. “We look forward to a continued relationship with Roche and to building new relationships with customers looking for a partner to help them create custom detection and analysis systems that meet their specific workflow needs.”

Molecular Devices’ SpectraMax Paradigm Multi-Mode Detection Platform employs a cartridge-based system that expands the capability of the plate reader beyond traditional assays to include applications such as western blotting and imaging cytometry. Users can choose from more than 20 existing cartridges or engage Molecular Devices Custom Technologies to create a cartridge that fits their needs.

Nano-TRF® is a registered trademark of Roche Diagnostics, GmbH. SpectraMax® and Paradigm® are registered trademarks of Molecular Devices, LLC.

Molecular Devices products are for Research Use Only and not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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Western BlottingWestern blotting equipment is used to transfer and identify specific proteins within a sample, reveal protein modifications, as well as give a semi-quantitative estimation of their concentration. Western blotting equipment includes all apparatus necessary to transfer proteins from gel to membrane and subsequent processing steps. Protein transfer can be performed by electroblotting with wet, semi-dry and dry transfer systems onto nitrocellulose and PVDF membranes. Blocking, washing and labeling of membranes follows, involving buffers, blocking reagents, blotting / incubation trays, labeling reagents, immunoblotting assays, antibodies and conjugates. Automated equipment for these steps is available to accelerate your lab workflow. Finally, detection and imaging of proteins can be conducted using gel documentation and imaging systems. Find the best western blotting equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.High-Throughput ScreeningHigh-throughput screening (HTS) is an automated drug discovery technique for identification of active compounds against a compound library. Use HTS readers and integrated assay preparation / analysis workstations to screen your compounds. Identify active compounds against various HTS libraries, including membranes, proteins and peptides and HTS cell lines. Find the best high-throughput screening products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Microplate Readers / DetectorsMicroplate readers are used to automate the detection and analysis of labeled or label-free components in microplates during assays or live-cell monitoring. Microplate readers are generally distinguished by their mode of detection. Types include absorbance, luminescence, fluorescence intensity, fluorescence polarization, TRF / FRET and multimode microplate readers. Microplate readers deliver a high throughput of samples by reading multiple wells simultaneously, with the 96-well format the most commonly used. As a result, microplate readers are often used in the drug discovery, bioassays, research and pharmaceutical industries for screening applications. Microplate loading can also be automated, with robotic microplate stackers to increase throughput. Find the best microplate readers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Flow Cytometry / Cell CountingFlow cytometers are used to count, sort and examine multiple characteristics of cells. Other cell analysis equipment includes image cytometers, cell counters, fluorescence-activated cell sorters (FACS), magnetic-activated cell sorters (MACS), and a range of flow cytometry assay kits. Flow cytometers can reveal information on cell viability, cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle progression, as well as identify cell populations and intracellular or cell-surface molecules. Additionally, some flow cytometers, known as FACS, have an additional sorting function after analysis. Cell counters and image cytometers count live and dead cell populations and can also conduct cell proliferation assays. Find the best flow cytometers, cell counters and cell sorters in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Drug DiscoveryDrug discovery is the process of identifying potential new medications, involving stages such as target identification, compound screening, and preclinical development. It relies on cutting-edge technologies like high-throughput screening, artificial intelligence, and molecular modeling to accelerate the identification of drug candidates. Drug discovery plays a pivotal role in developing new therapies for diseases ranging from cancer to rare genetic disorders. Browse our peer-reviewed product directory to find the latest drug discovery technologies, compare options, check customer feedback, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.Multispectral ImagingHigh ThroughputHigh throughput experiments allow the simultaneous processing of several samples. This parallelization reduces the cost per experiment and increases reproducibility and output volume of data.

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Molecular Devices Partners with Roche to Develop Custom Ruthenium Nano-TRF® Detection Platform