Complementary Biomolecular Analysis Instruments Available for Research and Clinical Labs

Two new instruments for biomolecular analysis feature coated sensor chips (microarray format and mini format respectively) and assay protocols ready to support almost any research and development application from kinetic evaluation of microarrays to online immobilization.

The instruments—b-screen and b-portable—are products of Biametrics GmbH (Tübingen, Germany). Biametrics develops and markets label-free analytical system solutions for life science applications.

Biametrics has recently launched two new product lines intended to facilitate research in diverse types of life science laboratories. The b-screen device is able to handle any standard microarray format and can detect up to 10,000 bimolecular interactions in a single measurement. The b-portable device enables high quality label-free interaction analysis under laboratory or field conditions using a smart and inexpensive technology platform.

Current applications for b-screen include bioanalytics, drug discovery, production, and quality control. Based on the same technology, b-portable is a point-of-care device for early cancer and infection detection.

The b-screen instrument provides label-free read-out of up to 10,000 spots per square centimeter. It utilizes a precise and automated microfluidics system for incubation of the microarray with the sample of interest. The instrument can be used with multiple array layouts, uses glass or plastic type substrates, and is compatible with almost any common microarray printer. No fluorescence labels are needed, which leads to assay conditions similar to the in -vivo situation combined with minimal sample pretreatment and minimized reagent consumption.

Both b-screen and b-portable may be used with different sample types such as serum or whole blood or other relevant complex matrices such as cell culture medium. Kinetic data can be obtained for almost any kind of biomolecular interaction such as those between proteins, between peptides and proteins, and between small molecules and proteins.

“With b-screen users are able to easily transfer existing microarrays directly into a label-free assay format thus gaining additional information on kinetics and thermodynamics at high precision and reliability,” said Günther Proll, managing director of Biametrics. “The device allows very low cost high-throughput screening and the applications we have established demonstrate excellent performance and outcome characteristics. We believe b-screen provides key advantages over current options like surface plasmon resonance (SPR).”

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Biametrics GmbH