Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has announced the launch of the Nunc Edge 96-well Plates for cell-based assays. The Nunc Edge plates incorporate large perimeter evaporative buffer zones that eliminate well-to-well variability, while dramatically reducing the overall plate evaporation rate to <2% after 7 days of incubation. As a result, more viable and healthy cell yields are obtained. These zones enable the use of all 96 wells, greatly reducing the edge effect commonly experienced in cell culture, while maintaining data consistency throughout the plate.
A minimal volume loss of 10 percent can concentrate media components and metabolites enough to alter cell physiology, a phenomena which is more pronounced in the outer and corner wells. The Nunc Edge plates significantly reduce its occurrence, effectively maintaining sample concentrations over long periods of incubation. The prevention of cell death and toxicity in the plates’ outer wells allows results to remain more true to the population phenotype for more efficient, high throughput analysis.
For high content analysis applications, the Nunc Edge plates offer outstanding flatness and superior image quality. In cell-based assays where multiple targets are simultaneously imaged, all the fluorescence from a single location needs to focus at the same point within the imaging system. The flatness of the Edge Plates eliminates the occurrence of chromatic aberrations, enabling efficient automated imaging. Furthermore, varying reagent concentrations from assay washing/aspiration steps are also dramatically reduced.
Combining advanced optical properties with a low evaporation rate, the Thermo Scientific Nunc Edge Plates enable researchers to obtain quality data from automated fluorescence imaging and quantitative analysis protocols.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
