Syngene has introduced its Dyversity multi-application image analyser, which is accelerating the pace of research on proteins and DNA associated with a variety of different cancers.
Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute (CRI) are using a Dyversity system to accurately analyse fluorescent and chemiluminescent Western blots labelled with various Qdots and ECL, respectively.
They are also using the system to image agarose gels containing DNA stained with SYBR Safe DNA gel stain.
The information from the gels and blots is being used to map genes and proteins associated with cancers and is helping scientists at the CRI to provide data that could lead to the development of new cancer therapies.
The Dyversity system installed at the CRI contains a high-resolution, 16-bit CCD camera with intelligent-control software specifically for chemiluminescence.
Additionally, the system has a computer-controlled lens that simultaneously moves with the motorised sample stage.
This ensures the Dyversity can quickly focus to produce high-quality images with perfect contrast, without any of the time-consuming trial-and-error imaging usually associated with capturing images of chemiluminescent blots.
Dr Jane Gray, senior scientific officer at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute, said: 'Since we installed Dyversity in 2009, everyone has been able to rapidly set the right exposure for their chemiluminescent Westerns and have imaged multiplex fluorescent Westerns with up to two different colours on one image, which has saved us a great deal of time.
'We also use the system for safe imaging of DNA gels and it is sensitive enough to easily detect these bands, so Dyversity has proved to be the perfect imager for our work,' added Gray.
