BioScale, Inc., a leading supplier of novel protein measurement technology to accelerate the development of biological and pharmaceutical products, has launched a new, 6-plate cartridge format for its Acoustic Assays to enable larger protein analysis studies, with unprecedented cost efficiency. The product enhancement, for use on the company’s proprietary ViBE instrumentation platform, was introduced at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) National Biotechnology Conference in San Diego.

“Our ViBE platform, paired with our non-optical Acoustic Assays, overcomes limitations of traditional methods like ELISA or Western blot by providing a simple, highly sensitive method of measuring specific proteins in a complex sample, with walk-away automation. This enables fast assay development that takes days, rather than months,” said Christopher Silva, vice president, commercial operations at BioScale. “Now, our new 6-plate format enables even larger studies providing up to 576 data points in one cartridge at a cost as low as only $2 per sample well. This will be particularly important for scientists needing to study cell signaling pathways and biomarkers, who are running larger cohorts in the areas of oncology, CNS, cardiovascular and inflammation research areas where the platform is currently utilised.”

BioScale’s ViBE platform enables non-optical, acoustic protein measurement utilising BioScale’s proprietary AMMP (Acoustic Membrane MicroParticle) technology. The company’s Acoustic Assays measure analyte concentration by determining changes in oscillation frequency caused by the binding of microparticles to the sensor surface. To date, the platform featured 1-, 2- and 3-plate cartridge formats allowing up to 288 samples per cartridge. Now, the 6-plate format allows up to 576 individual data points in a single assay or the re-use of the cartridge for multiple assays for up to 576 measurements across 5 days.

“BioScale’s new 6-plate cartridge allows us to run more than 500 samples in a week, with a simple pipette-and-go workflow, dramatically increasing the accuracy of our study results,” said Cloud Paweletz, of the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, who beta tested the new product.