BioTek's ELx50™ FMW Recommended by Luminex Corporation for xMAP^® Multiplex Bead Assays

Responding to new assay developments, BioTek Instruments, Inc. is pleased to announce that their ELx50™ Filter Microplate Washer (FMW) has been recommended by Luminex Corporation for use with their xMAP^® multiplex assay platform.

The compact ELx50 FMW features a syringe drive fluid-delivery system with an automated vacuum filtration solution for quick and unattended processing of 96-well filter bottom plates. Selectable vacuum levels and aspiration times provide complete filter bottom plate washing for filter pore sizes from 0.45 µm to 1.2 µm, and a range of fluid viscosities. Automated aspiration of liquids provides consistent wash performance and reduces the potential for operator error compared to manual methods. In addition, the modular platform allows for processing of standard microplates for traditional ELISA and cell-based assays.

According to Luminex, recovery of microspheres in the xMAP assay platform is good, even with high vacuum during aspiration and after up to six washes. In addition, blotting requirements are minimal or unnecessary, and filter microplate wells do not dry out from aspiration.

The xMAP multiplex assay platform uses microspheres that are internally dyed with fluorescent materials, coated with a test-specific substrate, and suspended in filter bottom microplate wells. When the coated substrate binds with a target molecule, two lasers excite the microsphere's internal identifying dyes, and also any reporter dye captured during the assay. The resulting fluorescence is detected with flow cytometry.