eBook: Multiplex Technology Guide - 8

plate preparation, reaction incubation, and multiple washes. Although these will differ depending
on whether bead coupling is performed in-house,
whether non-magnetic MicroPlex® Microspheres
or magnetic MagPlex® Microspheres are used, and
whether the aim of the experiment is to quantify
protein levels or gene expression, any xMAP® workflow has the capacity for automation.

The opposite end of the automation scale comprises fully automated solutions that begin with sample preparation and end with plate analysis. While
a low-volume lab may choose to automate only
the washing steps of an assay using a plate washer,
a core facility or high-volume testing lab may instead prefer a completely automated workflow. In
all cases, robust automation protocols are essential
to provide uniform dispensing of beads while avoiding well-to-well carryover and minimizing bead loss
during transfer.

Many automation options are available to researchers running assays based on xMAP® Technology. At
one end of the automation scale, instruments dedicated to a single function such as serial dilution, plate
preparation, buffer dispensing, or plate washing can
all be used to carry out repetitive steps where the
potential for user variability is high. These can be
integrated using a semi-automated liquid handling
workstation-whereby a robotic arm capable of
moving plates about a deck links sequential steps
together-allowing xMAP® assays to be automated
to varying degrees as required.

Factors to consider when automating
xMAP® workflows
In labs that routinely run xMAP® assays, or labs
that run xMAP® assays less frequently but at high
volumes, automation can be a sensible choice to
improve workflow efficiencies. The best automated liquid handling workstations offer flexibility in

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eBook: Multiplex Technology Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of eBook: Multiplex Technology Guide
