Microarray Screening Device Launched

Biametrics GmbH have announced the launch of its b-screen® label-free microarray screening device in European markets. The device is an analysis tool for microarrays in the standard microscope format allowing the detailed studies of biomolecular interactions. Current applications include bioanalytics, drug discovery, production and quality control. Based on the same technology, the company develops b-portable®, a point-of-care device for early cancer and infection detection.

b-screen® is able to handle different sample types like body fluids (e.g. serum or whole blood) and other relevant complex matrices such as cell culture medium. Kinetic data can be obtained for almost any kind of biomolecular interaction such as for protein/protein, peptide/protein and small molecules/protein.

b-screen® provides a label-free read-out of up to 10,000 spots per square centimeter. It utilises a precise and automated microfluidics system for incubation of the microarray with the sample of interest. The device can be used with multiple array layouts (highly scalable), uses glass or plastic type substrates and is compatible with almost any common microarray printer. The high-throughput analysis is characterised by a high time resolution (no scanning) at low noise of the optical readout. No fluorescence labels are needed, which leads to assay conditions as close as possible to the in-vivo situation combined with minimal sample pre-treatment and minimised reagent consumption.

“With b-screen® users are able to easily transfer existing microarrays directly into a label-free assay format thus gaining additional information on kinetics and thermodynamics at high precision and reliability,” said Günther Proll, MD of Biametrics. “The device allows very low cost high-throughput screening and the applications we have established demonstrate excellent performance and outcome characteristics. We believe b-screen® provides key advantages over current options like surface plasmon resonance (SPR)”.