Abstract
AMSBIO
Tankyrase 1 Activity Assay
These highly sensitive screening kits for the identification of Tankyrase 1 inhibitors in an in vitro system are the latest addition to AMSBIO’s range of high-performance poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) assay kits, enzymes, and antibodies for DNA damage research.
Tankyrase 1, also known as PARP5, is a telomere-associated PARP that is recruited to telomeres via its interaction with TRF1 and plays a role in the maintenance of telomere length, sister telomere association, and mitotic spindle organization. Tankyrase 1 has also been shown to destabilize axin, thereby activating Wnt signaling and driving tumor cell proliferation. Given these known activities, Tankyrase 1 has become a prominent cancer drug target.
Available in a choice of two easy-to-use, nonradioactive formats, AMSBIO Tankyrase 1 Activity Assay kits offer sensitivity down to 0.1 mU of Tankyrase 1 as well as the convenience and productivity benefits of operating in a 96-well microplate format. AMSBIO’s Tankyrase 1 Colorimetric Activity Assay is considered ideal for the screening of Tankyrase 1 inhibitors and determining IC50 values. The Tankyrase 1 Colorimetric Activity Assay is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that semi-quantitatively detects poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) deposited onto immobilized histone proteins in a 96-well format. An anti-PAR monoclonal antibody, goat anti-mouse IgG–horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugate, and HRP substrate are used to generate a colorimetric signal. Thus, the conversion of blue substrate correlates with Tankyrase 1 activity.
The Tankyrase 1 Chemiluminescent Activity Assay from AMSBIO comes as a sensitive chemiluminescent screening kit for the identification of Tankyrase 1 inhibitors in an in vitro system. AMSBIO’s Tankyrase 1 Chemiluminescent Activity Assay is considered ideal for the screening of Tankyrase 1 inhibitors and determining IC50 values. The Tankyrase 1 Chemiluminescent Activity Assay is an ELISA that semi-quantitatively detects PAR deposited onto immobilized histone proteins in a 96-well format. An anti-PAR monoclonal antibody, goat anti-mouse IgG-HRP conjugate, and HRP substrate are used to generate a chemiluminescent signal. Thus, light output correlates with Tankyrase 1 activity.
Beckman Coulter
Span-8 P50 Conductive Pipette Tips
These new tips complement Beckman Coulter’s existing P50 Non-Conductive Tip line. Both conductive and nonconductive tips provide access into deep and narrow labware such as Microfuge tubes, 1.4-mL storage tubes, and deep-well plates. The tips feature a fine point that facilitates efficient transfer of the small sample volumes characteristic of assay miniaturization and are offered for use on the Biomek Laboratory Automation Workstations.
More: www.beckmancoulter.com
Fluxion Biosciences
F1 Giga-Ohm Seal Plates for the IonFlux System
According to Fluxion Biosciences, its new F1 giga-ohm seal plates for the IonFlux automated patch-clamp system complement Fluxion’s existing 20-cell ensemble recording plates and are compatible with all IonFlux systems. Users can operate both plate formats interchangeably on either the IonFlux 16 or HT systems. IonFlux F1 plates are the industry’s first polymeric patch plates to deliver giga-ohm seal performance. This results in a tight “glass-like” patch seal that approximates traditional manual patch approaches. The introduction of this new plate format is intended to broaden the utility of the IonFlux system for applications where high-fidelity recordings from individual cells are preferred. These include kinetic analysis, heterogeneous cell populations, endogenous expression systems (i.e., ex vivo primary cells), and low-expression cells.
More: www.fluxionbio.com
Greiner Bio-One
Sapphire Pipette and Filter Tips
Sapphire tips are free of detectable DNase, RNase, and human DNA and are nonpyrogenic. Available in standard, filter tip, and low-retention designs, they are made from high-grade polypropylene and are transparent and graduated. Extremely thin walls in the middle section enable good visual control of the pipetting process. Tip ejection requires minimal effort and ensures problem-free pipetting. The new low-retention tips offer specially optimized surface properties for maximum precision. Because no liquid remains in the tip, pipetting is virtually residue free. This boosts efficiency and the usable volume. It also prevents the wasting of valuable sample material.
Both the low-retention and standard tips are available as refills. Sapphire tips come in volume ranges of 10 µL, 20 µL, 300 µL, and 1250 µL and can be used with all standard pipettors.
More: www.greinerbioone.com
White 96- and 384-Well PCR Microplates
According to Greiner Bio-One, these new polypropylene PCR microplates offer improved real-time PCR sensitivity and are superior to transparent plates. The white wells boost the fluorescence signals, and disruptive background fluorescence is reduced, leading to improved homogeneity for the replicas and to reproducible results. Black alphanumeric well coding allows fast identification of samples in the plate. The two microplates have a skirt and lateral notches for grippers, and the 96-well microplate can be sealed with suitable cap strips or adhesive films. Adhesive films are recommended for the 384-well PCR plate. The plates are free of detectable DNase, RNase, and human DNA and free of detectable endotoxins.
More: www.greinerbioone.com
CELLreactor
According to Greiner Bio-One, this 50-mL polypropylene filter top enables the miniaturization of large-scale setups while simultaneously maximizing the number of parallel experiments. It can therefore be used as a small bioreactor for the cultivation of cells.
Each CELLreactor cap on the 11.5-cm-long filter top tube has eight holes and contains a polytetrafluorethylene-coated USP Class VI–certified capillary pore membrane. With a pore size of 0.2 µm, the membrane keeps the contents of the tube completely sterile and ensures an excellent gas exchange. This can be reduced by closing individual openings. Liquids are mixed using standard shakers to minimize the formation of foam and any cellular shearing forces during the cultivation process. No transfer is required for cell harvest. Due to its conical design, the tube fits into all standard 50-mL centrifuge rotors, and the cells can be sedimented directly within the tube.
In addition to applications in the field of cell cultures, the CELLreactor is also considered suitable for the expansion of aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms in suspension culture and for storing components and liquids that require gas exchange.
More: www.greinerbioone.com
INTEGRA
Application Note: Improving the Efficiency of Collagen Coating of Plates and Flasks
A new application note from INTEGRA describes a new protocol using its DOSE IT peristaltic pump to significantly improve the efficiency of collagen coating of plates and flasks. According to INTEGRA, coating of dishes or tissue culture flasks with extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen or fibronectin is a common procedure in laboratories involved in cell culture. Coating large numbers of disposables, however, can be a tedious and time-consuming task. This application note describes how using a DOSE-IT peristaltic pump results in 40% time savings compared with a regular pipette controller and at the same time helps to reduce excessive strain caused by this repetitive work.
More: www.integra-biosciences.com/sites/pdf/Improving_the_efficiency_of_collagen_coating_V01.pdf
Labcyte
QIAGEN FlexiPlate siRNA Reagent Libraries in Labcyte Echo Qualified Microplates
According to Labcyte, these new microplates enable users to use the Echo liquid handler to miniaturize the transfer of small interfering RNA (siRNA) reagents and reduce the risk of contamination. QIAGEN siRNAs are provided in highly flexible formats and scales with an unlimited possibility to arrange targeted siRNA libraries according to needs and with easy access via QIAGEN’s GeneGlobe Web site.
More: www.labcyte.com or www.qiagen.com
Porvair Sciences
High-Performance 96-Well ELISA Microplates
A new range of high-performance 96-well ELISA microplates for diagnostic and immunological research applications is now available from Porvair Sciences with a choice of surface binding coatings. Manufactured from virgin USP Class VI crystal polystyrene, Porvair ELISA plates ensure excellent results with microplate readers. Produced as a one-piece molding, Porvair ELISA plates have a flat base with good clarity across the well bottom and even base thickness for accuracy and precision when making well-to-well measurements.
More: www.porvair-sciences.com
TAP Biosystems
RAFT System
This system comprises a new, custom RAFT microwell plate, reagents, plate heater, and protocol for the production of 3D cell cultures in a simple, consistent, and reproducible format. RAFT enables the production of reproducible 3D cell cultures in a standard 96-well plate format designed for compound screening and cell biology research. It uses collagen to create a realistic cellular environment and gives users complete control over experimental parameters. Users can choose cell types and cell seeding densities and create complex co-cultures, including multiple layers, if required. Analytical techniques, such as imaging, biochemical, histological, and ’omics techniques, can be applied to the 3D cell cultures. Users mix the reagents from the kit with their cells, pipette into 96-well plates, and incubate on the plate heater for 30 min to form a cell-seeded collagen hydrogel. The RAFT plate is placed on the hydrogels, and in just 15 min, the medium is absorbed gently, leaving cells “encapsulated” in physiological-strength collagen, ideal for use in cell-based secondary screening.
More: www.tapbiosystems.com
Tecan
MCA 384 Disposable Tips
According to Tecan, its new generation of MCA 384 Disposable Tips is designed to optimize the performance and reliability of the MultiChannel Arm (MCA) 384 pipetting option on Freedom EVO workstations. The range of MCA 384 Disposable Tips has been extended to include a 15-µL tip size alongside the existing 50-µL and 125-µL sizes, providing high-quality, reliable pipetting across a broad volume range. All MCA 384 Disposable Tips are now available in Tecan’s enhanced Tecan Pure and Tecan Sterile purity levels, with filtered versions of Tecan Sterile tips also available in all sizes. Tips are precision manufactured to deliver reliable 96- or 384-channel pipetting, as well as single-row or column pipetting, and are designed to ensure high accuracy and low coefficients of variation (CVs) even at low volumes. The new range offers maximum format flexibility, including the use of 1536-well plates with 15-µL tips, full-depth access to 96 deep-well plates with 125-µL tips, and use of typical 0.7-mL and 1.4-mL 96 storage tube formats.
Buffer Creation Wizard
According to Tecan, its new Buffer Creation Wizard fully automates buffer preparation for bioprocessing on Freedom EVO liquid-handling systems. It allows preparation of buffer sets in plates or tubes for subsequent screening experiments, such as high-throughput process development (HTPD). Fast, reliable buffer preparation can be performed using either manual buffer layouts or Design of Experiment (DoE) generated formats (*.txt), including Modde (Umetrics, Umeå, Sweden) and Assist (GE Healthcare, Piscataway, NJ). The required volumes of each solution are calculated and a ready-to-run script generated with just a few clicks of the mouse.
More: www.tecan.com/buffercreationwizard