Automated chemiluminescent and fluorescent image analysis of proteins and RNA helps in the battle to understand and treat cardiac arrythmias
Syngene says its ChemiGenius2, a chemiluminescent and fluorescent image analyser, is helping to improve the accuracy of crucial research into heart disease.
Researchers in the unit of cardiac physiology at the University of Manchester are using ChemiGenius2 to automate detection and quantification of novel proteins and RNA.
These are associated with the control of calcium within the heart and the development of arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). To facilitate this, the group is performing non-radioactive Western and Northern blots, as well as nuclease protection assays.
Andrew Trafford, lecturer in cardiac electrophysiology at the University of Manchester explained: "Before we automated our imaging we used isotopes and x-ray film to visualise proteins or RNA.
This was something we found time consuming.
In addition, it also made it very difficult to perform accurate quantitative comparisons of the very small amounts of material we have to work with.
In fact, before we used the ChemiGenius2 we did not perform nuclease protection assays at all because it would have been a struggle to obtain the sensitivity with x-ray film and isotopes. However, we have since discovered they are much more accurate than Northern blots." "Before purchasing we reviewed an alternative system but found ChemiGenius2 performed well with fluorescent or chemiluminescent stains and had excellent features at a competitive price, so this is what swayed us," Trafford continued.
