BioTek: Biomarker Assays

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  Cellular metabolism comprises a number of biochemical reactions that occur in concert within the cells of living organisms. These orchestrated reactions, better described as metabolic pathways allow organisms to function and respond to environmental changes. Agilent cell metabolism assays detect discrete changes in cell bioenergetics in real time, providing a window into the critical functions that provide ATP, the energy that cells need for activation, signaling, proliferation, and biosynthesis.
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  Cell migration and invasion are live cell kinetic assays useful in oncology research. The principle difference between migration and invasion is that migration refers to normal cell movement; whereas invasion describes cells actively invading surrounding tissue. It can do this under the influence of a chemoattractant gradient and secretion of proteases. There are numerous methods for performing these assays including scratch assays performed on a monolayer of cells adhered to plasticware (microplates or culture inserts) or using 3D cell culture models.
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  Bacterial endotoxins are lipopolysaccharides (LPS) generally found in the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, such as E.coli, and are widely present in our environment. Because of the pyrogenic nature of endotoxins, with human effects from fever to hemorrhagic stroke, FDA regulations require that raw materials (e.g. water) used in parenteral drugs be tested for endotoxin levels.
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- Rapid Cell Signaling
  G-protein coupled, seven-transmembrane (7-TM) receptors (GPCRs) represent large, diverse gene families found in fungi, plants and animals. The GPCR family of receptors is involved primarily with internalizing extracellular environmental signals via interaction with intracellular G-proteins. GPCR ligands and modulators range from peptide and non-peptide molecules to chemokines, nucleosides, growth factors and light.
- Stem Cell Research
  Research into the reprogramming of somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells received the Nobel Prize in 2012. The long term importance of this research resides in the use of stem cells for regenerative therapies; for the short term, however these cells represent a potential unlimited source of highly physiologically relevant cells, akin to human primary cells, that can be used as drug discovery reagents.
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HCT116 Negative Control 20x Zoom

Molecular biomarkers are biomolecules indicative of disease possibility, presence and prognosis. In most cases, these are variations in our genes (DNA) and how they are transcribed or expressed (mRNA or proteins). Researchers are developing biomarkers for myriad disease states, including all forms of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few.

Quantitative determination of biomarkers in cells can be performed using either conventional microplate reader optics or digital widefield microscopy. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization using fluorescence microscopy can be performed to identify gene variants and also quantify gene transcription; while microplate readers equipped with numerous detection modes are well equipped to quantify protein biomarkers using sandwich immunoassay technologies. Assays of this type are commonly run in higher density microplates, such as 96 or 384-well formats. Furthermore, the biomarker assay workflow can benefit from automated liquid handing for sample preparation to reagent addition.

BioTek has developed a number of application notes describing molecular biomarker assays using its line of liquid handling, detection, and imaging instrumentation.

Application Notes:

Learn more about Biomarker Assays – see our Applications and technical documentation in Resources.

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