Unwinding the genetic clock with Tecan’s Infinite® M1000 plate reader

Tecan’s Infinite® M1000 plate reader has enabled researchers at the Institute of Entomology (ENTU), Czech Republic, to automate hourly luminescence measurement of transgenic Drosophila for the study of insect circadian clocks.

Dr David Doležel, a researcher at ENTU, explained: “The expression of circadian genes is studied using transgenic Drosophila containing luciferase reporter genes controlled by the promoter of the gene under study. This requires a microplate reader that includes a luminescence module equipped with filters to discriminate between red and green luciferases, allowing us to follow multiple genes per well. Automatic plate transfer is also essential in order for measurements to be performed at regular intervals throughout the day and night.”

David continued: “The Infinite M1000’s compact size means that it fits easily into our laboratory incubator, so we can precisely control light and temperature and investigate the effect of environmental variables. Its microplate format allows us to load hundreds of flies into the plate reader at the same time, automating large-scale screens of mutant Drosophila strains and performing hundreds of measurements over a period of up to two weeks. Overall, we have been very impressed by the system’s performance and flexibility.”