Billerica, Massachusetts—November 30, 2009—Millipore Corporation (NYSE: MIL), a leading provider of technologies, tools and services for the global life science industry, today launched MILLIPLEX® MAP EpiQuant™ assay panels, a new family of phosphotyrosine multiplex assays designed to advance cell signaling research. Compared to existing techniques, these assays give researchers a more complete view of how cells send molecular signals, which can lead to improved therapies to combat cancer, autoimmune and other diseases.
“The MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant platform can quantify numerous signals coming from either a single protein, multiple proteins in a pathway, or multiple pathways,” said Dr. Thomas Joos, who heads the biochemistry department at the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tubingen, Germany and is a leader in protein microarray research.
More Data from Every Analysis
MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant assays have much greater throughput than other multiplex assays. Prior to the introduction of the new assays, multiplex assays could be used to simultaneously measure up to 10 different analytes in one well of a multiwell plate. MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant assays allow the simultaneous measurement of more than 40 analytes in one well, so whole pathways can be analyzed in a single 96-well plate.
Researchers can also use MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant panels to detect cross-talk between pathways. Traditional signaling assays can only reveal relative changes in protein levels, requiring impractical, time-consuming normalization for cross-pathway analysis. MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant assays provide absolute quantitation of total and phosphorylated proteins, enabling direct comparison of signaling events in different pathways.
A Unique Combination of Two Powerful Technologies
“In developing the MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant platform, Millipore has united two powerful technologies,” said Dr. Debra MacIvor, Product Manager of Cell Signaling Immunoassays at Millipore. “EpiQuant technology uses computational algorithms to guide the development of highly specific antibodies, and the Luminex® xMAP® platform provides bead-based, high throughput, multiplex analysis.”
MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant assays were developed using technology Millipore acquired from Epitome Biosystems in February 2009 (read the press release). EpiQuant algorithms identify unique peptide sequences in proteins. Because the peptides are very short, there is minimal variation in antibody binding affinity. As a result, MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant assays can provide quantitative measurements with picomolar sensitivity.
The MILLIPLEX MAP EpiQuant panel being introduced today detects phosphotyrosines. Subsequent panels will measure corresponding total proteins, other receptor tyrosine kinases, and phosphothreonine- and phosphoserine-modified analytes.
