Not using the most efficient way to wash your beads can often lead to lost sample and beads—something we try to prevent! Check out the easy steps below for ways to help your manual MagPlex® bead washing process, and help keep your beads in your plate!
The assay plate is placed on the Luminex Magnetic Plate Separator at the end of an assay incubation step and sits on the separator for one minute to bring all MagPlex Microspheres to the bottom of each well (Images 1 & 2).
Images 1 & 2. Place the plate on the separator for 1 minute.
Clip the 96-well plate on the Luminex Magnetic Plate Separator, both the plate and the magnetic plate separator are rapidly and forcefully inverted over a sink or biohazard receptacle to evacuate the liquid reagent from the wells (Images 3 & 4).
Images 3 & 4. Rapidly and forcefully invert the plate and separator.
The rapid, forceful inversion motion over the sink or biohazard receptacle must be repeated two to three times in quick succession to effectively and sufficiently remove the liquid reagent from the microspheres in each well. You may see the MagPlex Microspheres at the bottom of the well depending upon the plex and concentration in the assay (Image 5).
Without turning the plate over to ‘peek’ at the wells BLOT on a paper towel before turning the plate over (removes additional liquid reagent). Work in a timely fashion to not let the beads dry out.
Image 5. MagPlex Microspheres may be seen at the bottom of wells following liquid evacuation.
Once the assay plate is removed from the magnetic separator, liquid reagent can be added back to each well as a part of a wash step or to proceed with the next reagent addition step in the assay protocol.
This step is NOT performed on the magnetic plate. If you have any question, please contact your Field Applications Specialist or Luminex’s Technical Support Team at 1-877-785-BEAD(2323) or support@luminexcorp.com.