Magnetic Bead-Based Assays Increase Speed and Precision in Cytokine Research
Hercules, CA — April 6, 2009 — Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products today announced the launch of Bio-Plex Pro™ magnetic bead-based human and mouse cytokine assays that increase speed and improve reproducibility in cytokine research. Developed by Bio-Rad scientists, magnetic bead-based immunoassays offer full automation previously unavailable with suspension bead arrays.
Cytokines play an important role in a wide range of physiological processes, including immune response, inflammation, and the development of blood cells (hematopoiesis). Their utility as biomarkers of a spectrum of disease states, including cancer, makes measuring cytokine levels crucial to diagnostics and therapeutics.
Bio-Plex Pro magnetic bead-based human and mouse cytokine assays are multiplex assays that offer fast and accurate performance for the detection of multiple biomarkers in a single experiment, using as little as 12.5 microliters of serum, plasma, or other body fluids.
Magnetic bead-based assays overcome the limitations that inhibit automation of conventional polystyrene bead assays that require manual wash methods involving as many as 14 separate steps. Magnetic bead-based assays enable magnetic separation during wash steps by using a fully-automated magnetic bead washer, the Bio-Plex Pro Wash Station, for results within three to four minutes.
For all 32 mouse cytokine assays, as well as for all 50 human cytokine assays, transfer to the magnetic bead-based format showed comparable or improved performance as compared to polystyrene bead-based Bio-Plex® cytokine assays. By eliminating user-to-user variability, the automated wash station increases assay reproducibility.
Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, a maker of anti-inflammatory drugs, measured cytokine levels in asthmatic response comparing Bio-Rad's magnetic bead-based assays and polystyrene bead-based Bio-Plex assays. The drug company found that the magnetic assay format performed as well as the polystyrene format with nearly identical results.
Bio-Plex Pro human cytokine assay panels contain assays for 50 well-characterized human and 32 well-characterized mouse cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. The assays have been configured into kits that contain all necessary reagents and diluents for preparing and running the assay. Customers can choose from premixed kits, have select targets custom blended, or they can order select targets have them custom-shipped and then mix them themselves.
Antibodies and buffer compositions are the same as the nonmagnetic assays that have been available from Bio-Rad in the past.
For further information on Bio-Plex magnetic bead-based cytokine assays, please visit www.bio-rad.com/bio-plex.
About the Bio-Plex Plex suspension array system
The Bio-Plex suspension array system is a flexible and easy-to-use multiplex analysis system that allows for simultaneous analysis of up to 100 different biomolecules (proteins, peptides, or nucleic acids) in a single microplate well. By multiplexing with the Bio-Plex suspension array system, researchers can dramatically increase the amount of useful information they can obtain from rare or volume-limited samples such as mouse or rat serum. In addition, they can decipher complex interrelationships among proteins involved in signal transduction pathways. The microplate platform allows the automated analysis of 96-well plates with a throughput of more than 1,800 assay points — for a 23-plex assay — in 30 minutes.
About Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals
Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of resolvins, a novel class of therapies to treat inflammatory diseases and their complications. Resolvyx's drug R&D programs are focused on characterizing and developing resolvin-based compounds. With its experienced management team, world-class scientists and leading investors, Resolvyx is well-positioned to capitalize on its extensive portfolio of more than 55 patents and applications.
The company's headquarters are in Bedford, Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit http://www.resolvyx.com
About Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) has remained at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. The company is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, California, and serves more than 85,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs approximately 6,500 people globally and had revenues exceeding $1.7 billion in 2008. For more information, please visit www.bio-rad.com.
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NOTE TO THE EDITOR:
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For more information, contact:
Christian Zimmermann
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
Phone: 510-741-6613
christian_zimmermann@bio-rad.com
Ken Li
The Chempetitive Group
Phone: 312-997-2436
kli@chempetitive.com