Next generation of microarray substrates

SCHOTT has launched the next generation of microarray slides: Nexterion® HiSens (High Sensitivity).

These slides increase the signal to noise ratios from microarray experiments by over eight times and were developed using the company’s optical coating technology. Most microarray users prefer to use fluorescent dyes as labels in their experiments, as their use enables detection of two or more different dyes simultaneously. Unfortunately, microarray scanners do not operate at their maximum efficiency as they only acquire a small proportion of the total fluorescence emitted from the spots on conventional slides. The new Nexterion® HiSens reflective coating overcomes this limitation.

Nexterion® HiSens is the ultimate microarray slide for microarray applications were the target material is at a low concentration or cannot be reliably amplified, such as applications measuring mRNAs or low abundant proteins. The Nexterion® HiSens coating produces reliable and reproducible signals from low express or genes. The HiSens slides are manufactured with either a high quality Epoxy or Aminosilane functional coating, under class 100 clean room conditions in a state of the art production facility. The change over from conventional slides to Nexterion® HiSens can be very easily implemented, as the slides are fully compatible with all microarray printing technologies and most common slide processing protocols.

Nexterion® HiSens is based on an ultra-flat, high quality borosilicate glass slide coated with a reflective optical layer. The reflective layer on Nexterion® HiSens significantly enhances sensitivity and signal response by a process of fluorescence enhancement and reflection of the emitted light. The characteristics f the reflective layers have been tuned to the fluorescent wavelengths most commonly used in microarray experiments, and will simultaneously enhance the signal in both channels. Permitting the use of standard data normalization methods and direct comparison with data previously produced with conventional slides.