Biomarker Assays

Molecular biomarkers are expressed biomolecules indicative of the presence and/or severity of a disease. In many cases, these either can be transcribed or expressed genes (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 specific mRNA and protein biomarkers in cells can be performed using either conventional microplate reader optics or digital widefield microscopy. The former provides a cell population averaged result; the latter can provided individual cell responses and the spatial location of the molecular biomarker. 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:

• Analysis of the Effect of Aggregated β-Amyloid on Cellular Signaling Pathways Critical for Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease
• High Throughput, Multiplexed Detection of Inflammatory Cytokines in an Astrocyte and Monocyte Co-culture Model
• Multiplexed Detection of Cytokine Cancer Biomarkers using Fluorescence RNA In Situ Hybridization and Cellular Imaging
• Multiplexed Assay for IL-6 Secretion and Cell Viability Using an Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cell Line
• Differential Cancer Biomarker Secretion of Cultured Cells - Use of the ELx50™ to Automate the Wash Steps of Multiplexed Luminex® xMAP® Bead Assays
• Automated Washing of Magnetic Bead QuantiGene® Plex 2.0 Assays - Using the ELx405™ Magnetic Bead Washer to Wash Multiplexed mRNA Quantitation Assays