Check out highlights from this year’s conference posters using bead-based multiplexing technology
This year, the Luminex team was honored to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists (AMLI) which was held in our hometown of Austin, Texas. In addition to catching up on the latest findings about immunity as well as immune and autoimmune disorders, we presented several posters, and we’re excited to share the summaries with our readers:
Conversion of a SARS-CoV-2 IgG Titer and Neutralization Assay to Detect IgG and IgM Titers and Neutralization in a Single Reaction
We teamed up with scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center to redesign a multiplex assay for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for use on the new xMAP® INTELLIFLEX System. The original assay detected IgG associated with the spike protein, receptor-binding domain, and nucleocapsid proteins. By converting the assay to the INTELLIFLEX platform, researchers could take advantage of the dual reporter function to simultaneously detect antigen-specific IgG and IgM.
With the new assay in hand, scientists tracked IgG and IgM levels in samples for more than six months. Titers declined in the first two months, while neutralization potential appeared to be good in the past three months.
The team noted that the process of converting an assay from another xMAP system to the dual-reporter channel on the INTELLIFLEX platform was simple and straightforward.
Using xMAP Technology to Rapidly Develop and Iterate Antibody Assays for Viral SARS-CoV-2 Proteins: A Feasibility Study
This poster reports efforts from scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center along with Luminex’s Heather Darby, who worked together to rapidly design assays for the COVID-19 pandemic. “As new challenges continue to emerge during the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, testing that can rapidly deliver tailored and relevant results will be critical to outbreak surveillance,” they report in the poster.
The team used xMAP Technology to develop multiplex assays for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In this feasibility study, they evaluated a number of variables—such as protein coupling concentration and serum sample dilution factor—and developed and validated the assay in just one week.
“This assay is ready for further characterization and validation for implementation as a research tool, enabling serological surveillance at a population scale for exposure to SARS-CoV-2, as well as its variants,” the scientists conclude.
Effect of Streptavidin-R-Phycoerythrin Conjugate Size on Fluorescence Signal in Biotinylated Bead Assays
Scientists from Luminex and Agilent Technologies reported on this project, which aimed to assess the signal given off by different sizes of streptavidin-r-phycoerythrin (SA-RPE) conjugates. “Size differences in SA-RPE conjugates have the potential to affect the fluorescence signal obtained in different assay setups,” they note.
They found that the use of a longer linker with biotin-coated beads leads to stronger signals with SA-RPE, regardless of size. In addition, larger conjugates of SA-RPE produced more signal in certain situations.
“Overall, the optimal SA-RPE conjugate for a given assay depends on the assay chemistry,” the team writes. “Users should test different SA-RPEs to determine what works best for their assay.”
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
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