PHERAstar® FSX HTS Microplate Reader
The most sensitive microplate reader for high-throughput screening
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Super easy to handle
Fluorescence spectroscopy
The Instrument is super easy to use. I am using this instrument for more than 5 years related to drug screening. The instrument itself is more than 10 years old and data reproducibility is so good even after a decade and I did not face any glitch or problem in handling this. I trained many grad students, and it is so easy to train them for this instrument.
Review Date: 29 Jan 2026 | BMG LABTECH
BMG PheraSTAR is superior with regards to speed, sensitivity and ease-of-use.
Microplate high-throughput assays, HTRF, BRET and Luminescence
Using this equipment for the past 9 years in both academia and pharma has shown me superior performance compared to competitor products. Specifically, the sensitivity of laser-based HTRF assays in comparison to the speed of the measurement is unmatched. Strikingly, the sensitivity of this platereader for tracer-based NanoBRET experiments (using fluorescent tracers for competition with the compound of interest) enabled assays with fantastic z' that were otherwise not possible. The pipetting pumps of the PheraSTAR enable very fast kinetics experiments in a single well mode that were easy to perform because of the user-centric platereader software. The customer care both for the one repair we had in 9 years as well as requirements for custom filters were fulfilled with expertise and excellent timing. I can fully recommend you this platereader for anything from binding kinetics experiments to fast HTS campaigns.
Review Date: 24 Jul 2024 | BMG LABTECH
Gold-standard instrument
ELISA
We are using FSX Pherastar for throughput ELISA crucial in our antibody development pipeline. CV is very low and time of reading is superior to the competitors.
Review Date: 24 Jul 2024 | BMG LABTECH
A must equipment for any lab!
Cellular assays
PheraStar is really easy to use, to assess and define protocol in order to get reproducible data. Also changing the filter units is an easy procedure. In short time 96, 384 and 1536 well plate are readed, with the possibility to define controls or standard units. It is the kind of equipment each lab needs to have.
Review Date: 6 Feb 2024 | BMG LABTECH
Quick, easy and reliable
BRET2 based assays
The Pherastar system is quick and easy to use for high throughput, and sensitive BRET2 based assay experiments such as TRUPATH and arrestin recruitment.
Review Date: 26 Sept 2023 | BMG LABTECH
Amazing plate reader!
Proliferation assay plate reading
I really like the PheraStar plate reader because it’s so easy to adjust the parameters and so easy to visualise the changes in proliferation because of colour coding.
Review Date: 22 Apr 2023 | BMG LABTECH
The new PHERAstar® FSX from BMG LABTECH for HTS.
The most sensitive instrument for screening and assay development. Specifically designed for highest sensitivity and speed. Its unique features make it superior to any other microplate reader currently on the market.
With all the features you would expect from the Gold Standard HTS microplate reader and more, including:
- The highest sensitivity for Fluorescence Intensity and Polarization
- Fastest read times thanks to Simultaneous Dual Emission detection (including Alpha Technology)
- Enhanced Dynamic Range and automatic focus An ultra-fast UV/Vis spectrometer for full absorbance spectra (220 to 1000 nm) in less than 1 second per well
- All microplate formats up to 3456-well
- New generation laser for highest performance in TRF detection
- Dedicated AlphaScreen®/AlphaLISA® laser
- Up to two onboard reagent injectors
- Three integrated barcode readers
- Advanced Assay Stability system
Thanks to assay-specific Optic Modules, you no longer need to worry about which filter or dichroic mirror is installed. These Optic Modules are configured with all the necessary optical components, with the appropriate module selected automatically by the PHERAstar® FSX. Up to six easily exchangeable Optic Modules can be accommodated in the PHERAstar® FSX at any time.
Accessories
- Filters and Optic Modules: standard filters from 240 - 850 nm, filters and Optic Modules optimised for specific applications, and bespoke solutions are available
- Microplate Stacker: optimises microplate handling and increases throughput by providing rapid loading, unloading, restacking, and continuous feeding for up to 50 microplates
- LVis Plate: microplate for low-volume DNA, RNA and protein quantification. It includes 16 micro-drop (2 µL) wells, a cuvette slot and optional performance testing features
- Evaluation Plate: validates the optical functionality of BMG LABTECH microplate readers for quality control and/or qualification (IQ/OQ) purposes
Brochures
PHERAstar<sup>®</sup> FSX Product Brochure
This product brochure contains information and technical specifications for the PHERAstar® FSX – a microplate reader designed to achieve high sensitivity and speed in high-throughput screening applications.
Adaptation of a potassium channel assay to enable easier high throughput screening
Thallium-sensitive dye-based methods have made it possible to measure monovalent ion channels such as potassium channels. However, they typically employ kinetic imaging readers that are not common laboratory equipment. Here, a modified potassium channel assay is demonstrated, that can be detected with the PHERAstar FSX with comparable results to kinetic modality readers.
Structure-guided monitoring of the human opioid receptor family using BRET assays
Discover how researchers use the PHERAstar FSX microplate reader to study opioid receptor signaling and design safer pain relief drugs. Explore G protein dissociation and β-arrestin recruitment assays for µOR, δOR, κOR, and NOPR receptors.
The Advanced Assay Stability system for temperature-sensitive assays
In this application note, BMG LABTECH discusses the limitations of conventional microplate readers when it comes to temperature stability and its effects on assay precision and reliability. The PHERAstar® FSX with Advanced Assay Stability (AAS) system eliminates external air flow to the inside of the reader, maintaining constant humidity and reducing evaporation. The AAS system enables the PHERAstar FSX to match room temperature conditions and to be maintained at any temperature between 18° and 45°C. It achieves this by automatically heating or cooling the microplate measurement chamber depending on the external environment.
Real-time cell motility tracking increases the throughput of scratch wound assays
In this application note, BMG LABTECH discusses the use of microplate readers for measuring the motility of cells, specifically in the context of wound healing and invasion assays. The note describes important factors to consider when performing these assays, such as the choice of a proper cell line, the selection of the right assay format, and the attainment of proper cell confluency prior to the assay. The note also discusses the use of key detection technologies such as fluorescence, luminescence, and absorbance, comparing the benefits and drawbacks of each technology.
Testing novel bacteriophages for antibacterial properties with a crystal violet biofilm quantification assay
In this application note, BMG LABTECH employs crystal violet biofilm mass quantification and Live/Dead bacterial viability assays to assess the antibacterial properties of the phage APTC-EC-2A towards bacterial biofilms.
Building a bridge between organoid research and drug discovery
Step inside the world of next-generation 3D cell culture with Dr Elad Katz, founder of Navigate Precision Biology, a spin-out from the University of Dundee. In this interview, Dr Katz shares how their groundbreaking NaviPlate system generates 384 identical organoids in a single microplate — a powerful, automation-friendly platform for studying disease models and accelerating drug discovery.
Discover how Dr Katz relies on the PHERAstar FSX microplate reader to push the boundaries of organoid research, using fluorescence intensity to analyze life/death assays with as few as 500 cells per well. From cancer and bone microtissues to heart, kidney, and lung organoids, learn how high-throughput, ultra-sensitive detection is driving innovations in fibrosis research, calcium flux oscillations, and beyond.
Get the best out of your microplate reader
Discover tips and considerations for improving microplate reader measurements. Application specialists, Dr. Ann-Cathrin Volz and Dr. Martin Mangold from BMG LABTECH, discuss the impact of different plate reader parameters on data, and provide empirical evidence of their effect on data quality. They also discuss approaches to optimize microplate reader settings, and share recommendations for using BMG LABTECH's range of microplate readers.
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Microplate reading technology for improved assay stability in drug discovery workflows
Explore the importance of stabilizing temperature in microplate reading technology to achieve robust and reproducible data in your drug discovery workflows
Our biggest ever Seal of Quality announcement
Here we recognize the latest products to earn a coveted Seal of Quality award for receiving consistently outstanding feedback from scientists
