Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not find the question you are looking for here, contact your local representative and he or she will be happy to be of assistance. You can also contact our technical support team or one of our applications specialists if you have specific questions relating to these areas. Additionally, you can take a look at our Innovations in Microplate Reading Blog. Here we have collected these and other questions from our customers. |
Please find below our frequently asked questions. Click on a topic to get all the questions and answers on this subject.
Applications - General
- Is there a way to detect and quantify nucleic acids in low volumes?
- Is there a faster way to measure in-vitro Prion Seeding Assays?
- What are Cell Based Drug-Discovery Assays?
- What is tryptophan fluorescence?
- What is the Transcreener® ADP2 TR-FRET Assay?
- For cell growth assay, why would I use light-scattering nephelometeric measurements in replace of turbidity measurements?
- Can I also measure low-volume samples on the FLUOstar Omega?
- Should I be worried about evaporation within the microplate reader?
- What is the Pgp Inhibition Screening Assay?
- What are Kinases?
- What are Heterotrimeric G Proteins?
- What is the standard substance in the ORAC assay?
- Can I measure the antioxidant capacity of foods and supplements with the help of a fluorescence assay?
- What are the most common ELISA conjugate/substrate combinations and what are their appropriate absorbance wavelengths?
- How can full spectrum analysis improve ELISAs?
- What are the most common Food Analysis assays performed on a microplate reader?
- Why is the Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) detection assay used in food and beverage research laboratories?
- Why are my DNA concentration readings at absorbance 260 nm quite different from my results when using a 1-cm cuvette spectrophotometer?
- What are all of the different ways protein concentration can be measured on a microplate reader?
Applications - Cell-based
- How can I control the Atmosphere for Cell-based Microplate Assays?
- Which gas control systems are offered for my microplate reader?
- Does Direct Optic Bottom Reading significantly increase the S:B ratio for cell-based microplate assays like GFP?
- What are mOrange, mCherry and mPlum?
- What are the advantages of the ACU over other Gas Control systems for microplate readers?
- Under what circumstances would I need bottom reading?
- What is more sensitive – measuring from the top or bottom of a plate?
- When should orbital averaging be used as opposed to well scanning?
- What are Cell Based Drug-Discovery Assays?
- Do I have to use special gases for the ACU?
- Should I be worried about evaporation within the microplate reader?
- What are all of the different ways protein concentration can be measured on a microplate reader?
ACU – Atmospheric Control Unit
BMG LABTECH Researchers
Choosing a Microplate Reader
- Since BMG LABTECH has 16 different microplate readers, how do I know which BMG LABTECH microplate reader will fulfill all of my current and future needs?
- What is the difference between fluorescence intensity and fluorescence polarization?
- Which microplate reader is based upon light-scattering and can be used for compound solubility or cell growth assays?
- Which assays are most often performed when managing an HTS compound library?
- Which microplate reader offers best HTRF® results?
- Can I also measure low-volume samples on the FLUOstar Omega?
- Under what circumstances would I need bottom reading?
- Does the POLARstar OPTIMA also have Simultaneous Dual Emission detection?
Detection Modes
- What is absorbance?
- What is luminescence?
- What is light scattering / nephelometry?
- What is fluorescence polarization?
- What is AlphaScreen®?
- What is TR-FRET?
- What is the difference between fluorescence intensity and fluorescence polarization?
- What is the difference between FRET and TR-FRET?
- Can I use an A492 filter for a fluorescence measurement?
- Under what circumstances would I need bottom reading?
- What is the difference between endpoint mode, plate mode, and well mode readings?
Detection Mode – Absorbance, Full Spectrum with UV/Vis Spectrometer
- What is absorbance?
- How quickly can I capture a full spectrum using the spectrometer?
- Why does a spectrometer-based microplate reader capture a full absorbance spectrum much faster than a monochromator-based instrument?
- Is it true that the POLARstar Omega can capture the whole absorbance spectrum with one reading of the plate?
- Why do I get a higher OD value for an empty well than I do when measuring a well with buffer (in absorbance mode)?
- Is there a way to detect and quantify nucleic acids in low volumes?
- How can I find the peak showing the highest OD value of an absorbance spectrum?
- How can full spectrum analysis improve ELISAs?
- Why are my DNA concentration readings at absorbance 260 nm quite different from my results when using a 1-cm cuvette spectrophotometer?
Detection Mode - Fluorescence Intensity (incl. Fluorescence Polarization)
- What is the difference between fluorescence intensity and fluorescence polarization?
- What type of microplate should be used for fluorescent intensity assays?
- What is tryptophan fluorescence?
- Why do fluorescent kinetic traces go down at the beginning of the run before they start to go up?
- What is the difference between FRET and TR-FRET?
- What is the gain and why do BMG LABTECH microplate readers have an adjustable gain for fluorescent intensity and luminescent assays?
Detection Mode - Luminescence
Detection Mode - Time-Resolved Fluorescence (TRF and TR-FRET)
- What is TR-FRET?
- What is HTRF®?
- Which microplate reader offers best HTRF® results?
- What is LanthaScreen®?
- What is Decay Curve Monitoring?
- Do the rare earth metals used in time-resolved fluorescence assay fluorescence by themselves?
- What is the advantage of the UV Laser on the PHERAstar FS?
- What is the difference between FRET and TR-FRET?
Detection Mode - Light-Scattering / Nephelometery (NEPHELOstar)
- What is light scattering / nephelometry?
- How does nephelometry work?
- Is there is a faster and easier alternative to Ramon's flocculation method?
- Which microplate reader is based upon light-scattering and can be used for compound solubility or cell growth assays?
- Is there an alternative method to absorbance for studying compound solubility and microbial growth?
Which assays are most often performed when managing an HTS compound library? - For cell growth assay, why would I use light-scattering nephelometeric measurements in replace of turbidity measurements?
Features - Accessories
- What is the gain and why do BMG LABTECH microplate readers have an adjustable gain for fluorescent intensity and luminescent assays?
- What is Simultaneous Dual Emission (SDE) detection?
- Does the POLARstar OPTIMA also have Simultaneous Dual Emission detection?
- What is Tandem Technology?
- Which shaking options are available on my microplate reader?
- Which incubation options are available?
- When should orbital averaging be used as opposed to well scanning?
- What is the difference between endpoint mode, plate mode, and well mode readings?
- What is an Optic Module?
- Which Optic Modules are available from BMG LABTECH?
- Which filters are offered by BMG LABTECH?
Features - Injectors
Hardware
- What are xenon flash lamps used for?
- What is the expected lifetime of a Xenon Flash Lamp?
- What is a UV/Vis spectrometer?
- What does the PMT do?
- Can the fluorescence measurement optic head be used for luminescence in the OPTIMA, NOVOstar, or Omega?
- Do filters always offer the best performance?
- Can I add reagent injectors to my microplate reader?
- Which microplate readers have Tandem Technology?
- Why does a spectrometer-based microplate reader capture a full absorbance spectrum much faster than a monochromator-based instrument?
- I have a new microplate type that is not in your software. How can I get this plate to show up in my software?
- Can I use an A492 filter for a fluorescence measurement?
- What is an Optic Module?
- What are the advantages of the ACU over other Gas Control systems for microplate readers?
- What is more sensitive – measuring from the top or bottom of a plate?
- Can I use a filter labeled as EM on the EX wheel, or vice versa, on my Omega, OPTIMA, or NOVOstar microplate reader?
- Which filters are offered by BMG LABTECH?
- Can my microplate reader be placed into a cold room at 4°C?
Microplates
- Which microplate is best for my assay?
- What type of microplate should be used for fluorescent intensity assays?
- What are Low Volume Plates?
- I have a new microplate type that is not in your software. How can I get this plate to show up in my software?
- How can I add microplates to the database?
- Can BMG LABTECH instruments measure microplates from Seahorse Bioscience?
LVis Plate for Low Volume Samples
PHERAstar FS
- Can I read dual emission detection from the bottom and from the top using the PHERAstar FS?
- How fast can the PHERAstar FS read a 1536-well microplate?
- What light source does the PHERAstar FS have?
- Does Direct Optic Bottom Reading significantly increase the S:B ratio for cell-based microplate assays like GFP?
- What is the advantage of the UV Laser on the PHERAstar FS?
- What is an Optic Module?
- Which Optic Modules are available from BMG LABTECH?
- Where should I place the bar codes on the microplate for them to be read in the PHERAstar FS?
Service
Software - Control
- How can I link complex methods to simple, app-style buttons in the Omega Software?
- Is there a software feature that allows you to map the dimensions of a plate?
- How do I find out if I have the latest software version available for my microplate reader?
- Are the gain settings different for top and bottom read measurements?
- How can I add microplates to the database?
- What is the gain and why do BMG LABTECH microplate readers have an adjustable gain for fluorescent intensity and luminescent assays?
Software - MARS Data Analysis
- What is the Z prime value (Z´)?
- Can enzymatic calculations like Michaelis-Menten, Lineweaver-Burk, and Scatchard Plots be performed in the MARS Data Analysis software?
- Does MARS evaluation software supports data outlier removal?
- Are there new versions of the software packages available?
- Is it possible to merge different test runs?
- Can I export my data to different locations simultaneously?
- What are MARS templates?
- Do I have to purchase an individual MARS software package for each computer I would like to use?
- How can I find the peak showing the highest OD value of an absorbance spectrum?
- Can BMG LABTECH’s MARS Data Analysis software perform enzymatic calculations like Michaelis-Menten, Lineweaver-Burk, and Scatchard Plots?
Transcreener is a patented technology of BellBrook Labs.
HTRF is a registered trademark of Cisbio International.
DLReady is a trademark of Promega Corp.
LanthaScreen is a registered trademark of Invitrogen Corp.
BMG LABTECH GmbH, Allmendgruen 8, D-77799 Ortenberg/Germany
Phone: +49 781 96968-0, Fax +49 781 96968-67, Impressum / Disclaimer| Sitemap
Copyright ©1995-2012 All Rights Reserved.