New cell viability assay uses a single, optimised reagent and offers choice of readout with multiplexing capability
Quick and simple estimations of cell viability in multi-well plates can now be made with Promega's new fluorescence-based CellTiter-Blue cell viability assay.
Short exposure to the reagent is relatively non-toxic to cells and means that it can be multiplexed with other assays - such as Promega's Apo-One homogeneous caspase 3/7 assay for measuring apoptosis. Multiplexing allows one sample to be used in more than one assay. CellTiter-Blue uses a single, optimised reagent so the procedure is simply 'add and read' and can be used directly for cells in culture medium without the need for washing steps.
This makes the assay readily adaptable to automation for high throughput screening in either 96- or 384-well formats.
In addition, this format also enables flexibility in incubation times from one to four hours.
The assay has a Z'-factor of 0.80 ensuring results are highly reproducible.
The assay measures the reduction of resazurin - a reaction only occurring in metabolically active (ie, viable) cells.
The resulting resorufin is fluorescent so results can be obtained in a plate-reading fluorometer; alternatively absorbance can be measured in a spectrophotometer.
For either measurement, the signal produced is directly proportional to viable cell number.
CellTiter-Blue is a non-radioactive alternative for cell proliferation and cytotoxicity studies and is part of Promega's established cell viability product range.
