A Potential Single-Tube Multiplex Assay for Detecting Dengue Virus in the Field

Countries affected by dengue. By Percherie (Distribution de la dengue sur Commons) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
In areas of the world where the electricity is intermittent, resources are limited and transporting bulky equipment and reagents that are sensitive to temperature fluctuations is difficult, diagnosis of viruses like dengue can be challenging. If you could reduce or eliminate the need for electricity dependent equipment for diagnostic assays without sacrificing sensitivity or specificity, it would be a boon to field workers. An article published in PLOS ONE describes how researchers developed a multiplex isothermal amplification method that could assess a potential dengue infection with a visual real-time or endpoint detection in a single tube. Continue reading “A Potential Single-Tube Multiplex Assay for Detecting Dengue Virus in the Field”

Tips for Multiplex Cell-Based Assay Success

The ability to analyze more than one cellular biomarker in a single sample is advantageous for a number of reasons. Multiplexing allows researchers to save money and time, while conserving precious samples. In addition, understanding the relationship between cell biomarkers can provide a more complete picture of cell health that can lead to improved predictive models for drug discovery. Understanding biomarker relationships can also minimize ambiguity in the data set and validate if a treatment effect is real or an artifact of the system. To avoid repeat experiments and extract the most biologically relevant data from multiplex assays, consider these tips when performing multiplex cell-based assays.
Continue reading “Tips for Multiplex Cell-Based Assay Success”