Kit addresses a broad spectrum of drug targets in high-throughput screening, including those that have proved problematic with other calcium assay formats
Molecular Devices has announced the launch of the Flipr Calcium 3 assay kit.
This kit, using technology licensed exclusively to Molecular Devices by Bayer, addresses a broad spectrum of drug targets in high-throughput screening, including those that have proved problematic with other calcium assay formats.
Cell-based calcium flux assays are considered one of the most important screening techniques used in pharmaceutical drug discovery, and all of the major pharmaceutical companies utilize Molecular Devices' Flipr system for these assays.
However, many drug targets exhibit weak activity or are expressed at very low levels and do not generate reliable results in traditional assay formats.
The enhanced fluorescence signal intensity of the Flipr Calcium 3 assay kit provides substantially greater dynamic range, revealing cellular activity that may go undetected with other assay techniques.
"Because the Flipr Calcium 3 assay kit generates a large signal from both weak and robust receptors, researchers can use the same assay chemistry for multiple different assay targets.
With the Flipr Calcium 3, researchers have a new tool to simplify and expedite the drug discovery process from assay development to high throughput screening" stated Stephen Oldfield vice president of marketing at Molecular Devices.
"Researchers no longer need a battery of different calcium assays with the hope of finding one that is appropriate for the target of interest." In common with other Flipr assay kits, the homogenous single step format of the Flipr Calcium 3 eliminates the dispensing and washing steps associated with multi-step assays, resulting in saved time and minimising potential errors and equipment failure.
The end result is a faster and more streamlined route to drug discovery.
