How to Select Your Immunoassay Platform
Consistent analyte detection and quantification require reliable reagents, and not all biomarker kits are created equal. Keep your focus on the next stage. Our rigorously tested and limitation-lifting immunoassay platforms use a range of verified methods to ensure optimized performance and lot-to-lot consistency. Providing the specificity, biological dynamic ranges, and sensitivity that you require, our versatile ELISAs, ultrasensitive SMC® assays, and MILLIPLEX® multiplex assays using Luminex® xMAP® technology deliver consistent performance, lot after lot. See the difference by choosing a platform with our biomarker kits that provide you with all the AssayAbilities to take your biomarker research further.
Download our Analyte Quarterly brochure for a full listing of all our products.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Immunoassays
When thinking about what immunoassay platform you need, there are some factors you should consider, including:
- Multiplex capability (plex size needed)
- Sensitivity needs
- Precision (inter- or intra-assay coefficient of variation (%CV))
- Number of samples per assay (throughput)
- Sample volume available
Comparison of Immunoassay Platforms
Researchers rely on commercial immunoassays to study biomarker expression in a wide variety of research applications. With recent technological advances pushing the limits of protein quantification in high sensitivity and multiplex analyte detection, we are committed to delivering the best possible immunoassays for your research needs. Whether you are using our industry-leading MILLIPLEX® multiplex panels to broadly survey multiple analytes, performing femtogram/mL biomarker analysis using the Single Molecule Counting (SMC®) ultrasensitive immunoassay platform, or examining single proteins with our tried-and-true ELISAs and radioimmunoassays (RIAs), you can confidently expect reliable measurements, a simplified user experience, and knowledgeable scientific partners to help drive your biomarker project from hypothesis to publication. Table 1 gives a breakdown of these different platforms.
| MILLIPLEX® Qualified Panels | MILLIPLEX® Screening Panels | SMC® Platform | ELISAs and RIAs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Description | Accurately and consistently measure up to 48 analytes in a sample | Screen up to 115 analytes across multiple research areas | Explore previously undetectable proteins | Trusted standards for protein quantitation |
Single/Multiplex | Multiplex | Multiplex | Singleplex | Singleplex |
Quantitative | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sensitivity | Down to pg/mL | Down to pg/mL | Down to fg/mL | Down to pg/mL |
Sample Size | ~25 µL (may be diluted) | ~25 µL (may be diluted) | 5 - 100 µL | 50 – 100 µL |
Dynamic Range | 3 – 5.5 log | 3 – 5.5 log | 4 – 5 log | 2 – 3 log |
Assay | MILLIPLEX® assay or any Luminex® assay | MILLIPLEX® assay or any Luminex® assay | SMC® assay | Any ELISA or RIA |
Instrument | Luminex® Systems: xMAP® INTELLIFLEX®, FLEXMAP 3D®, Luminex® 200™ Instruments | Luminex® Systems: xMAP® INTELLIFLEX®, FLEXMAP 3D®, *Luminex® 200™ Instruments *Restrictions apply based on analyte selection | SMCxPRO® System | Any ELISA reader or gamma counter (for RIA) |
Custom Support | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Automation | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Advantages of Our Platforms
Our immunoassay platforms offer many advantages including:
Published Performance
- Broadest analyte selection across research areas and species
- Over 15,000 published papers with data generated using our immunoassays
- Customizable, premixed, and bulk kit options to fit your exact research needs
Quality
- Over four decades of immunoassay development and manufacturing expertise
- Highly-verified assays developed and quality tested for accurate, reproducible, and biologically relevant protein measurements
- Manufactured in facilities that are ISO 9001:2015 compliant, our products are for research use only (RUO) and not for use in clinical or for medical diagnostic purposes
User Experience
- Kit components are pre-optimized for easy use and minimal preparation steps
- Comprehensive protocols with recommendations for optimal sample preparation
- Knowledgeable in-house and field-based scientific support for assays and instruments
- State-of-the-art Belysa® software for powerful immunoassay data analysis and reporting
Multiplexing
Our industry-leading MILLIPLEX® multiplex assays provide Genuine PlexAbility based on Luminex® xMAP® technology and give you the FlexAbility to select your combination of biomarkers to simultaneously analyze with ease. To further support our customers’ research needs, we offer two fit-for-purpose assay solutions - Qualified and Screening assays.
Qualified Assays
- Lot-to-lot reproducibility, rigorous QC testing
- Includes QCs and Serum Matrix
- Ideal for long-term or cross-site studies
- Broadest analyte selection across research areas and species
- Configurable, premixed, and bulk kit options to fit your exact research needs
Screening Assays
- Profile up to 115 analytes simultaneously
- Uses same reagents as Qualified assay (no QCs or Serum Matrix)
- Tested for analyte specificity
- Ideal for identifying gross differences in experimental groups
- Sample agnostic
- Species available: Human
Combined with the largest portfolio of multiplex biomarkers available, we provide you with the power of Luminex® xMAP® instrumentation, the most trusted, widely-used platform for biomarker screening and protein analysis. Choose between the xMAP® INTELLIFLEX®, FLEXMAP 3D®, or the Luminex® 200™ systems.
Learn more about MILLIPLEX® multiplex assays and how to activate your PlexAbility in our Overview of Luminex® Multiplex Assay Technology article.
High Sensitivity Analysis
For low-abundant biomarkers, get Next-Level DetectAbility with our ultrasensitive SMC® kits for the SMCxPRO® platform by detecting biomarkers down to femtogram/mL levels. SMC® technology provides maximum immunoassay performance while following an easy-to-follow workflow, similar to traditional ELISA technology. These assays are optimized for the SMCxPRO® platform, a complete fluidics-free system that provides sensitive quantification for both low and high levels of expression.
- Neuroscience
- Immunology/Inflammation
- Virology
- Toxicity
- Immunogenicity
- PK/PD
- Oncology
- And more
Discover more about SMC® technology and how to activate your DetectAbility in our Overview of Ultrasensitive Immunoassay Technology article.
ELISAs
Quantify critical targets with ELISAs that combine the specificity of antibodies with the sensitivity of simple enzyme assays. Our manufacturing of highly verified, preconfigured ELISAs and RIAs is the gold standard, giving you the same accuracy and precision in every lot, backed by the same, unwavering technical support.
Specifically, our Conferma® ELISAs provide Designed RelyAbility and are engineered for endogenous detection and lot-to-lot consistency of routine-use biomarkers.
They increase data reproducibility by utilizing physiochemical analysis tools to confirm reagent similarity prior to assay manufacture. This growing product line currently offers Human IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and TNFα ELISAs.
Discover more about this process and how to activate your RelyAbility in our Conferma® ELISAs article.
Complete Toolkit for Immunoassay Workflows
All of these platforms can be used together to give you a complete picture of your research. The MILLIPLEX® multiplex platform can be used to screen biomarkers and find your biomarkers of interest. From there, you can perform targeted biomarker analysis with Conferma® ELISAs for routine biomarkers, or deeper analysis of selected biomarkers through the ultrasensitive SMC® platform.
We also offer additional tools to complete your immunoassay workflows.
User-Friendly Data Analysis
Supporting all three platforms, our Belysa® Immunoassay Curve Fitting Software gives you Complete CompareAbility and provides a user-friendly tool to quickly compare your standard and sample curves with ease, ensuring your methods and plates ran consistently over time at the single assay level, over multiple plates, and over multiple lots. It is compatible with both Windows 10 and macOS (beta).
With Belysa® analysis software you can:
- Quickly check replicate %CVs and standard point recovery
- Check that plates ran consistently
- Confirm lot-to-lot similarity
- Analyze data from ELISA readers and Luminex® or SMCxPRO® instruments
See how easy it is to use this software and how to activate your CompareAbility in our Belysa® software article.
Custom Assay Development & Innovation (CADI) Services
Leverage our immunoassay expertise to create your custom biomarker assay solution. We follow a milestone-based process to develop the “Fit for Purpose” assay you need. From beginning to end, your assay development journey will be an interactive, iterative process as you work closely with our team to meet your research goals.
When you do not have the time or resources to develop your own assay for your biomarker(s) of interest, our Custom Assay Development & Innovation team provides Expert CustomAbility and can help accelerate projects from the discovery stage to clinical trials with:
- Collaborative new biomarker discovery and assay development
- Immunogenicity assay development and PK/PD profiling during biotherapeutic development
- Reagent selection
Experience enhanced flexibility with services to:
- Combine new and existing analytes across panels
- Switch existing 96-well assays to a 384-well format
- Test non-verified sample types
- Convert MILLIPLEX® kits to the SMC® platform when greater sensitivity is needed
Discover more about these services and how to activate your CustomAbility on our Custom Assay page.
Ancillary Equipment
Complete your workflows with ancillary equipment such as plate washers and ELISA reading equipment in partnership with BioTek® instruments.
- BioTek® plate washers available for SMC® assays, MILLIPLEX® assays, and ELISAs
- BioTek® absorbance readers available for Millipore® and Sigma-Aldrich® ELISAs
Download our Analyte Quarterly brochure for a full listing of all our products.
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For Research Use Only. Not For Use In Diagnostic Procedures.
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