Published scientific data shows CalScreener, the isothermal microcalorimetry label free well-plate assay, provides the increased throughput needed to accurately detect tumorous micro tissues, bacteria and parasitic worms and provides real-time biological data
17 March 2015: SymCel, the company behind the revolutionary cell-based assay tool providing real time cellular bioenergetics measurements, is pleased to announce the publication in The Biotechnology Journal of findings from scientific data on its microcalimeter technology. The company’s ground-breaking calScreener system, equipped with its novel vessel holder, similar to a 48-well plate, provides the increased through-put essential for use in bioassays. The technology accurately quantifies the metabolism of tumorous micro tissues, bacteria and worm parasites. This technique provides real-time information on metabolic activity and provides the life science community with a new tool highlighting unique biological information. The research clearly indicates that this microcalimeter is a highly valuable asset for both biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The findings open up multiple new research avenues across cancer research, diagnostics and the development of new anti-tumour drugs.
In all the performed experiments, heat production rates by the living organisms tested was sufficient to produce detectable signals over time. Across all the applications put to test, isothermal microcalorimeter, with its well-plate format sample holder, provided highly reproducible and accurate data.
The new screening approach, when applied to the susceptibility of tumours to anti-tumour agents, provides a cost saving alternative for selecting the best possible chemotherapy and aids the development of personalized medicine based in tumour biopsies, due to the high intra-tumour genetic heterogeneity. The results showed that the technology can easily monitor the overall viability and growth of cancer micro tissues over time without any need to cause disruption to them whilst the assay test is carried out. The label free and passive nature of isothermal calorimetry makes possible accurate measurements on complex 3D structures, like micro tissues. This innovation solves the serious problem with conventional assays, such as DNA or protein quantification, which can’t be performed without the destruction of the 3D structured micro tissues concerned.
For bacteria, the results showed that the technology can determine both the growth rate and lag phase duration, with the data entirely consistent with conventional OD reading and CFU counts. The technique showed real scope to assess the effects of substances on microbial growth, and to estimate both bacterial loads in samples and potential bacterial effects, much faster, and just as reliably, as time consuming conventional screening methods. Furthermore, unlike conventional optical OD measurement methods, the instrument can be applied to opaque samples like blood, stool or milk.
Symcel’s novel technique was also shown to have strong application in parasitology. The low mass and high thermal conductivity of the microcalorimetric vials increase sensistivity to significantly higher levels than other instruments on the market, enabling accurate data to be gathered from single parasitic worms, decreasing the need to sacrifice hosts.
In the case of micro tissues and parasitic worms, the technology proved sensitive enough to offer a similar through-put to the traditional microscopic approach. However, the technique provides a clear advantage over microscopy by significantly reducing workload, with the need for continual microscopic evaluation (sometimes very subjective), based on motor activity, completely eradicated. Additionally, microcalorimetric data, when combined with other data sets, enables the pinpointing of highly useful heat production time points; with bacteria, for example, additional activity data, such as secreted protease activity, can be used to assess the production of such enzymes in other organisms. Consequently, the new approach can be utilised for research in the screening of protease inhibitors.
Christer Wallin, CEO of Symcel commented: “We are delighting with the findings of the scientific data and for them to be published in The Biotechnology Journal. Indeed, they clearly demonstrate that a well plate instrument, combining the throughput of well plate assays with the sensitivity of isothermal calorimetry, has strong applicability to the fields of microbiology, oncology and parasitology. In particular, the technique and our CalScreener technology has shown itself to be a highly accurate and reliable assay that monitors the metabolic activity of cancerous micro tissues. Moreover, it represents a uniquely versatile technology since we are independent of cell morphology and can monitor cells in 2D, 3D as well as in tissue samples, bringing innovation to the life science research market that is in such strong demand to bridge early in vitro data to better predictive in vivo models.”
Oliver Braissant, researcher at University Hospital of Basel, and lead investigator in the studies commented: “The research shows that isothermal microcalorimetry is a highly versatile and user friendly test that complements existing tools in microbiology whilst at the same time enhancing the ability to monitor metabolic activity and thereby generating highly useful results.”
ENDS
Reference
Isothermal microcalorimetry accurately detects bacteria, tumorous microtissues, and parasitic worms in a label-free well-plate assay
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
Volume 10, Issue 3, March 2015, Pages: 460–468, Olivier Braissant, Jennifer Keiser, Isabel Meister, Alexander Bachmann, Dieter Wirz, Beat Göpfert, Gernot Bonkat and Ingemar Wadsö
Link to publication (open access)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/biot.201400494/epdf
Notes to Editors
The SymCel website address as requested: http://www.symcel.se/.
SymCel Company Info
SymCel provides a novel cell-based assay tool for real time cellular bioenergetics measurements. SymCel is a privately held biotechnology company located in the Kista region of Stockholm Sweden, a region well known for high tech telecom and med-tech industry development.
SymCel was founded by Dr Dan Hallen and Prof. Ingemar Wadsö in 2004. The founders have an extensive background in the field of calorimetry measurement and technology development. The current research team at SymCel has over 58 years of experience from many disciplines within the biotechnology industry as well as the pharmaceutical development industry.
SymCel develops and markets analytical instrumentations that fulfil an unmet need for cell biological research and development, within R&D departments of Life Science industry, as well as academic research laboratories. Our solution is a fast label-free assay technology providing real-time continuous data monitoring of cell metabolism.
For media enquiries, please contact Tristan Jervis on +44 (0) 207 203 6740 or e-mail: t.jervis@defacto.com.
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
