Scientists Choose xMAP® Technology to Identify Exposure to Pathogens That Cause Lyme Disease

Dual-reporter feature allows for data generation in half the time

The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen in Germany is highly regarded for their applied research and early adoption of multiplexing alternatives to singleplex immunoassays. It is no surprise that the NMI scientists were the first in the world to bring our new xMAP INTELLIFLEX® System into their laboratory to see how its novel features could benefit them.

Since the installation of this system in 2021, scientists at NMI and their collaborators have been adapting xMAP® assays to take advantage of the xMAP INTELLIFLEX® System’s unique dual-reporter feature, which makes it possible to interrogate two parameters per analyte. In a new publication in JoVE, they describe the results of a dual-reporter serological test for antibodies to Borrelia bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, a tick-borne infectious disease.

Interrogating two parameters per analyte with xMAP INTELLIFLEX® DR-SE System’s dual-reporter feature

The paper highlights the importance of correctly identifying the infectious agent via antibody testing since Lyme disease can be caused by several members of the Borrelia genus. This requires testing for antibodies to many different antigens, ideally all at once to streamline the workflow and produce results quickly. In addition, the scientists note that testing for both IgG and IgM responses is useful because these antibodies tend to increase at different times as the disease progresses.

Generally, testing for Lyme disease — also known as Lyme borreliosis — is based on serology assays run after clinical symptoms are found. “In both Europe and North America, diagnostic guidelines recommend a two-step testing series consisting of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with an immunoblot to evaluate antibody response against Borrelia specific antigens,” Häring et al. write. “However, this approach lacks sensitivity and is suboptimal, particularly in the early phase of infection when seroconversion may be incomplete and anti-Borrelia IgG and IgM titers are too low.”

Developing multiplexing alternatives to singleplex immunoassays

In this project, the scientists developed a multiplex alternative to traditional ELISA testing. They first designed single-reporter xMAP assays that could detect either IgG or IgM antibodies against Borrelia infection and then combined them into a dual-reporter assay that can measure both isotypes at once. The test utilizes four antigens representing “the most common pathogenic Borrelia species native in Europe … and North America,” the authors note. “This allows decisive pathogen identification and the ability to discern early IgM and later, more durable, IgG immunoreactivity in patient samples.” (While the assay reported in this study utilizes four antigens, the team later expanded it to eight for a more comprehensive analysis.)

Conserving time and resources through dual-reporter assays

The team thoroughly evaluated the performance of both the single-reporter and the dual-reporter assays. In the latter, they found no significant cross-reactivity between the two antibody systems used to detect IgG and IgM simultaneously. Inter- and intra-assay precision studies showed high reproducibility with excellent results across a range of sample concentrations. “This dual-reporter approach retains the analytical performance of single-reporter methods while conserving time and resources and reducing sample size requirements,” the scientists report. “This assay allows essentially double the serological information to be generated from a blood sample in half the time.”

They also note the flexibility and scalability of this approach, since multiplex assays can be run on 96-well or 384-well plates, allowing for high-throughput and automated testing when needed. In addition, the scientists note, “a major advantage of this bead-based Borrelia multiplex assay is the ease with which the assay can be modified or expanded to evaluate different or additional analytes, [such as] antibodies against antigens of further Borrelia species.”

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Explore the capabilities of multiplexing. Learn more about the technology that helps identify the pathogens behind Lyme disease.

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Summarizing the Benefits of Proteomics in Early Cancer Detection

A recently published white paper titled “The Role of Proteomics in Early Cancer Detection: A Look at Six Core Benefits” touches on the collaborative goal between Luminex and Bio-Techne Corporation. The publication addresses six core benefits of integrating protein biomarkers into the development of early cancer detection assays.

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The paper notes how new proteomic-based technologies have enabled the identification of potential biomarkers that can be used to improve detection of cancers and tumor progression. Yet in moving robust biomarker panels closer toward clinical utility, research trials need sensitive and highly reproducible immunoassay systems that can simultaneously interrogate large numbers of targets per sample in a short time. That’s where Luminex’s xMAP® Technology has emerged as a valuable tool. Incorporating multiple non-tumor biomarkers from the xMAP® platform into a multi-omic early cancer detection assay can potentially enhance sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, thereby improving early detection and leading to earlier intervention and better patient outcomes.

Below is a summary of the six core benefits of utilizing proteomic-based technologies for early cancer detection:

    1. Protein patterns: As cancer progresses, monitoring the patterns of protein expression over time can assist in identifying biomarkers that effectively track disease progression and the response to therapy. By focusing on the immune response, we can potentially detect and intervene in cancer at an earlier stage.

 

    1. High sensitivity: Proteomic analysis can help identify specific protein biomarkers associated with different types of cancer, providing highly sensitive detection and potential early warning signs of the disease.

 

    1. Non-invasive sampling: Many protein biomarkers can be detected through blood, urine, or saliva. Such non-invasive sample collection makes it feasible to perform regular screenings and monitor high-risk individuals more effectively while reducing patient discomfort.

 

    1. Practical implementation: Proteomic profiling can identify and characterize proteins indicative of early-stage cancer and can readily serve as targets for diagnostic tests or potential therapeutic interventions. Incorporating protein biomarkers into multi-omics assays increases the potential for practical implementation in routine clinical settings.

 

    1. Early intervention: Recent advances in proteomic-based technologies have led to progress in developing tools for early diagnosis, such as certain protein signatures that can help predict the likelihood of disease progression, response to specific treatments, or even the risk of recurrence after initial treatment.

 

  1. Protein abundance: Protein biomarkers can be derived from tumor cells, tumor microenvironment, or other tissues affected by cancer. When released into the bloodstream or other bodily fluids, these protein biomarkers provide a broader range of potential targets for early cancer detection.

The collaborative goal: Luminex Corporation and Bio-Techne partnership

Multi-omic approaches offer valuable information in early cancer detection, providing a more comprehensive understanding of cancer biology and may help make diagnostic testing more accurate and actionable.

This innovative partnership between Luminex and Bio-Techne Corporation combines the world’s leading antibody, protein, and ELISA manufacturer with the world’s leading platform for multiplex proteomics—with the joint mission to accelerate the development and commercialization of early cancer detection assays and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

We encourage you to download this white paper for a more in-depth analysis of the role of Luminex’s xMAP Technology in cancer biomarker research and to also check out our Luminex Licensed Technologies Partner program to learn the benefits of becoming a partner.

Download the white paper here

Learn more about becoming a partner

xMAP® Journal Club: Recent Papers Highlight Utility of Multiplexing Assays

From cancer and infectious diseases to drug discovery and obesity, research projects get a boost from xMAP® Technology

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Celebrating Scientists and Their Impact

In the halls of Luminex, we speak about how innovative our customers are. They start with our xMAP® multiplexing technology, but we know that the technology requires the dedication of scientists to power groundbreaking new vaccines, therapies, and diagnostic tests.

To celebrate those scientists, we’re launching the xMAP Journal Club blog series wherein each quarter, we’ll feature recent scientific publications that highlight the inspiring range of projects and applications where xMAP-based assays are making a difference. We hope you’ll find them as impressive as we do.

CANCER

Development of a duplex serological multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection of Epstein-Barr virus IgA and IgG antibodies in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and other institutions used the new dual-reporter feature on the xMAP INTELLIFLEX® System to develop a multiplex assay to simultaneously detect IgA and IgG antibodies against the Epstein‐Barr virus in cancer patients. This approach enables more cost-effective serology studies and demonstrates the value of the dual-reporter capability for a range of antibody studies.

Development of a novel circulating autoantibody biomarker panel for the identification of patients with ‘actionable’ pulmonary nodules

In this study, researchers developed assays to measure novel autoantibody biomarkers in three cohorts, ultimately developing a risk stratification technique for lung nodules as a companion diagnostic for lung cancer screening. The project also made use of machine learning and protein microarrays.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Predicting Vibrio cholerae infection and symptomatic disease: a systems serology study

Reported in Lancet Microbe, scientists measured vibriocidal antibodies as a proxy for protection against cholera based on vaccination or prior infection. The team used a custom xMAP assay for antigen-specific IgG subtyping and Ig isotyping and designed an algorithm to identify biomarkers associated with patients at high risk or low risk of infection.

DRUG DISCOVERY

Multiplexed selectivity screening of anti-GPCR antibodies

Researchers from the Science for Life Laboratory and other labs aimed to address the challenge of distinguishing anti-GPCR antibodies by creating a multiplex assay capable of testing more than 400 antibodies targeting a custom library of GPCRs. Their findings shed light on the immunogenicity of GPCR epitopes and could help other scientists more accurately detect relevant autoantibodies or design new therapeutics.

Small-molecule-mediated OGG1 inhibition attenuates pulmonary inflammation and lung fibrosis in a murine lung fibrosis model

In this Nature Communications paper, scientists used mice to model interstitial lung diseases associated with dysfunctional repair processes and demonstrated that OGG1, a DNA repair protein, could be a good therapeutic target for lung fibrosis. They used an xMAP-powered assay to measure cytokine responses in mice.

OBESITY

Maternal obesity blunts antimicrobial responses in fetal monocytes

A team from the University of California, Irvine, and collaborating institutions found that obesity prior to pregnancy depresses the response to infectious pathogens in umbilical cord blood monocytes. They used xMAP assays to measure chemokines and cytokines in monocyte samples.

Obesity-defined molecular endotypes in the synovium of patients with osteoarthritis provides a rationale for therapeutic targeting of fibroblast subsets

In this project, researchers in the UK were able to identify four molecular subgroups of patients with osteoarthritis, finding that obesity noticeably alters the inflammatory landscape in affected joints. The team used xMAP assays among many tests performed to measure genes, proteins, and metabolites from fibroblasts in synovial tissue.

Looking for even more? Don’t miss our publication tracker, now loaded with more than 70,000 papers citing xMAP Technology.

Join the xMAP Journal Club!

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For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Dominic Andrada headshot

Dominic Andrada, M.S.
Sr. Manager, Scientific Applications

Dominic Andrada is a Senior Manager for Scientific Applications in the Licensed Technologies marketing team at Luminex Corporation. His professional career spans over 20 years intersecting product development, marketing, business development, and biopharma research. His focus is developing collaborations to utilize xMAP Technology for biomarker discovery and finding innovative immune profiling strategies. Dominic is an alumnus of UC San Diego and has a Master of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Washington.

Owning Your Assay

The benefits of developing your own xMAP® assay

Developing your own xMAP® assay can provide several advantages in various fields of study, including medical research, drug discovery, environmental testing, and more. Here are several reasons why you might consider developing your own xMAP assay:

1) Developing your own custom assay offers you the flexibility to choose the specific targets or analytes you want to detect and quantify. By customizing the assay to suit your specific research or diagnostic needs, whether it’s for protein detection, serology, genotyping, or other applications, this flexibility allows you to address unique research questions and tailor the assay to your experimental requirements.

2) The benefits of using Luminex’s xMAP® Technology to develop your own assay can be cost-effective in the long run, since the ability to multiplex and analyze multiple targets in a single reaction well reduces reagent and sample consumption. This can lead to cost savings when compared to performing multiple single-analyte assays for the same set of samples.

3) Developing a custom Luminex xMAP assay offers the advantage of flexibility in selecting high-affinity antibodies and proteins. By developing your own assay, you have the freedom to choose antibodies and proteins that specifically target your analyte of interest with high affinity. This allows you to optimize the assay for sensitivity and specificity, ensuring accurate and reliable results.

4) Luminex’s xMAP Technology is highly sought-after in the market, with a wide range of applications in research and diagnostics. With more than 20,000 systems installed and the availability of 1,300 RUO (Research Use Only) kits, xMAP has gained widespread validation and acceptance. This technology is particularly well-suited for fields such as immunology, infectious diseases, oncology, and drug discovery. By creating an assay on the Luminex xMAP platform, you can access a market that already acknowledges and leverages the benefits of a proven technology.

5) Quality Control: When you develop your own xMAP assay, you lead the quality control and quality assurance processes as you optimize the assay’s performance, validate it according to your specific requirements, and implement rigorous quality control measures to ensure accurate and reproducible results.

Cost-effective multiplexing assays

Luminex is committed to delivering exceptional support to customers seeking to develop and optimize their own xMAP assays. Our extensive resources, such as the renowned fifth edition xMAP Cookbook, provide a comprehensive collection of methods and protocols to navigate how to develop a custom xMAP assay with ease. Furthermore, our team of experienced field application scientists and the cutting-edge facilities at LuminexPLORE Lab are readily accessible to offer expert guidance. By partnering with Luminex, you can confidently harness the power of xMAP Technology, accelerate your multiplex assay development, and achieve your research or diagnostic objectives with confidence.

Learn more about how to get started with xMAP Technology, here!

Discover xMAP Technology

New Resource: Biocompare ebook Offers Useful Tips for Improving Cytokine Detection

Articles review key studies and offer advice about working with multiplex technology

Cytokine detection is crucial for research aiming to characterize inflammation and immune response and to identify key biomarkers. Yet because there are so many different cytokines, traditional single-plex ELISA tests can be too time-consuming and require too much sample volume to be a feasible approach.

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That’s why many scientists interested in quantifying cytokines have turned to Luminex’s xMAP® Technology, since bead-based multiplexing allows for the simultaneous analysis of as many as 500 analytes in a single reaction, making quick work of cytokine detection and generating a wealth of information from a small volume of sample.

Streamlining cytokine detection workflows

A new ebook published by Biocompare focuses on improving cytokine detection workflows, with several valuable articles designed to help scientists streamline their protocols and produce higher-quality data. If cytokine detection is important for your research, we recommend checking out the entire ebook. For your convenience, we’ve rounded up a few highlights.

Comparison study: xMAP Technology vs. planar electrochemiluminescence kits

In a comparison study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine, two multiplex immunoassay tools were evaluated: xMAP Technology using the Luminex FLEXMAP 3D® system, and planar electrochemiluminescence (ECL) kits. By analyzing the results of the 19 cytokines common to both tests, the team determined that the FLEXMAP 3D system quantified all 19 cytokines in 55 samples tested, while the ECL kits failed to detect 7 of the 19 cytokines in more than 25% of samples.

Importance of lot-to-lot consistency in cytokine detection

Luminex Dot Pattern

For any biomarker analysis, results are only reliable when they are reproducible and directly comparable to other results generated by the same process. For cytokine detection, lot-to-lot consistency across kits is essential, particularly in longitudinal studies of immune factors. The ebook includes an article describing a study of two immunoassay performance indicators related to consistency, standard curve reproducibility, and sample measurement.

According to the article, the results demonstrated “the reliability of MILLIPLEX® Human Cytokine/Chemokine/Growth Factor Panel A for consistent assay performance, sensitivity, and reproducible measurement of immune factors in serum and plasma between different kit lots.”

Furthermore, there’s also a related article about how the MILLIPLEX Human Cytokine/Chemokine/Growth Factor Panel B offers a unique combination of 48 biomarkers that can be simultaneously analyzed in a small sample volume, with useful data about parallelism and sample detectability.

Choosing an automation vendor for cytokine detection

For researchers who run many cytokine detection experiments, workflow automation might be useful for scaling operations and reducing hands-on time. xMAP-based assays are amenable to an automated approach in laboratories that perform a high volume of assays. However, before choosing an automation vendor, consider some key steps: define your experimental goals, prepare a detailed assay protocol, measure your lab space, and list all consumables, instruments, and reagents used in your workflow. Having this information on hand can make discussions with vendors much more productive.

Learn more about xMAP multiplexing technology for a broad range of applications by downloading the free Biocompare eBook, “Improving Cytokine Detection.”

Download the eBook

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Have an Unusual Sample to Query? We Can Make That Work

The versatility of our multiplexing technology enables reliable genomic and proteomic testing across various sample types

When Luminex began offering its bead-based multiplex xMAP® Technology in the 1990s, our team was convinced that a tool that prioritized versatility would empower scientists in a broad range of research and clinical areas, including biomarker discovery and validation.

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Unlocking insights: xMAP Technology and flexible sample analysis

More than seventy thousand citations later, we are still focused on that same principle of versatility. In addition to being a robust genomic and proteomic testing technology—a huge boon to biomarker discovery, development, and validation work—xMAP Technology is also very flexible when it comes to sample types. Researchers around the world (as well as our own development team) have put this platform through its paces for blood, urine, saliva, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, and more. This has been possible due to xMAP Technology’s open architecture, which allows users to be as creative as they choose.

Wide range of sample types for xMAP Technology

To showcase the variety of sample types, we arranged this list of examples, each one linked to a publication demonstrating its use with xMAP Technology. This is by no means exhaustive, and we encourage blog readers to share what sample types you use with your xMAP assays.

Precious sample analysis made possible with xMAP Technology

Furthermore, another reason researchers have applied xMAP Technology to so many different sample types is its ability to generate a vast number of data points from a small volume of sample. In maximizing data yield with xMAP-powered platforms, even sample types that might be too precious to interrogate with other technologies, such as single-plex ELISA tests, can be tested confidently through xMAP Technology’s ability to perform small volume sample testing.

Explore more with xMAP Technology

Interested in xMAP Technology? Consider learning more about custom assay development using xMAP Cookbook protocols for coupling proteins, peptides, and oligos to develop your own assay, or browse the xMAP Kit Finder Portal to see ready-made kits available from our partners.

For more in-depth questions about assay development, commercialization, or testing services, our LuminexPLORE Lab team can help.

Discover The Possibilities

Added Resources:

Multiplexing Technology Accelerates Vaccine Development

Bead-based xMAP® Technology can be used to measure immune response and perform other important genomic and proteomic queries

Since the very first vaccine was demonstrated by Edward Jenner in 1796 against the scourge of smallpox, vaccination has been one of the most significant drivers of improving human health. From polio to mumps to COVID-19, vaccines protect millions who otherwise might suffer terrible symptoms or death.

Luminex’s xMAP® Technology used for mRNA vaccine development

Here at Luminex, we are proud to contribute to that amazing legacy with our bead-based xMAP® Technology. For more than 25 years, this multiplexing tool has supported the research and clinical studies needed for the development and commercialization of new vaccines—and we’re not slowing down. Indeed, xMAP-based assays were used to test antibody binding levels during the development of the world’s first mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 from Pfizer and BioNTech.

The versatility of xMAP-based assays in vaccine development

Luminex xMAP assays are useful for vaccine development in part because of their tremendous versatility: they can be designed easily to test for genomic or proteomic targets, querying as many as 500 analytes simultaneously per sample. Furthermore, they are routinely used to measure key elements in the immune response—such as cytokine signaling, humoral immunity or antibody production, and T-cell activation—in addition to a host of other important biological factors. Collectively, these capabilities make bead-based xMAP Technology the go-to platform for vaccine development and clinical evaluation.

The Luminex team is committed to supporting innovative research and advancement of effective vaccine development for infectious diseases and other health conditions. Our multiplexing technology was designed to allow scientists anywhere to build and use their own assays, but we also offer in-house custom development services to anyone looking for expert help.

Resources for learning more about xMAP assays in vaccine development

Tutorial: Multiplexing for Vaccine Development

If your work involves vaccine development, don’t miss this new tutorial in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News from Eric Shaw, head of clinical assay development at Takeda Vaccines. It’s an excellent insider’s view, replete with useful tips about how multiplexing makes it possible to conserve samples and discern immune subtleties.

METHODS Special Issue: New Multiplex Assay for Vaccine Immunogenicity Testing

Scientists at the Serum Institute of India have developed a new multiplex immunoassay to perform the mouse immunogenicity testing recommended in many countries for quality control in the production of combination vaccines. They chose xMAP Technology to design the serological assay, which features higher throughput, faster analysis, and lower sample volume compared to serial ELISA testing.

METHODS Special Issue: New Assays to Characterize Vaccination and Infection History

Scientists in the Waterboer lab at the German Cancer Research Center have developed the building blocks for a multiplex assay that will make it possible to quickly interrogate a person’s history of infection and vaccination. In a paper from Methods, the team reports developing individual assays for antibodies to several pathogens, noting that these assays could easily be combined into a multiplex assay in the future.

Webinar: Designing a COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy Assay with the xMAP INTELLIFLEX® System

In a recent webinar, Dr. Jeffrey Borgia from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago spoke about his team’s experience developing a high-throughput serology assay for monitoring the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines using the xMAP INTELLIFLEX® System.

How Multiplexing Can Support Vaccine Development

A noteworthy example of how scientists have used xMAP Technology in vaccine development arises from the development of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. More than a dozen HPV genotypes are associated with cervical cancer, necessitating a highly robust multiplex assay for the vaccine development process.

Related Content:

Luminex Licensed Technologies Partner Spotlight: Intercientifica

Reliable prenatal testing and newborn screening based on xMAP® Technology

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xMAP Technology Enables Reliable Prenatal Testing and Newborn Screening

Prenatal testing and newborn screening programs are among the most effective tools to ensure that babies have the best chance to grow into healthy children. In Brazil, one company has lead the charge in this area for three decades: Intercientifica.

Founded in 1992 by Claudio Sampaio, Intercientifica runs all its tests on dried blood spot (DBS) samples. To produce a wealth of information from such low-volume samples, the company relies on xMAP® Technology for multiplexing. In 1999, it became one of the first Luminex Licensed Technologies Partners in Latin America. Now, the company has fully automated its xMAP workflow to ensure high-throughput testing with a fast turnaround time.

Intercientifica’s Start in Neonatal Screening

Sampaio never expected his career to lead to newborn screening. In the early 1990s, he was working as a salesman for the laboratory department of a Brazilian company when he had the chance to travel to the U.S. and take a tour of Sigma Aldrich: one of the company’s vendors. During that visit, he met with the leader of Sigma’s newborn screening business. “She told me that it would soon be mandatory to have newborn screening in Brazil, and that I should look into it,” Sampaio recalls.

That conversation altered the trajectory of his career—and the health of babies across Brazil.

“I took a deeper look at the market and was very excited,” Sampaio says. “It was a very small niche and nobody else was doing this in Brazil. I could see that it would be good for communities and good for children.”

He launched Intercientifica as a startup enterprise from his own home, receiving business and technical advice from newborn screening and laboratory testing experts around the world. Today, the company maintains a large, GMP-compliant manufacturing and testing facility in Brazil, while its subsidiary in the U.S., Intercientifica, creates its own kits for newborn screening and prenatal testing.

Multiplexed Newborn Screening Assays for Congenital Disorders Using xMAP Technology

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Serendipity struck Sampaio again in 1999 when he met with the laboratory director for the New York State Department of Health. There, he was introduced to the multiplexing capabilities of xMAP Technology. “I was really excited about this, not only because of the ability to work with multiple markers, but also because of the sustainability,” he says. “With multiplexing, you can reduce the packaging, the water, and the space of your stock.” Additionally, xMAP-based assays require smaller volumes of reagents and antibodies, and the xMAP platform allows the use of just one DBS sample to perform the test. These two factors are beneficial to the economy of blood samples, a very important factor in the case of newborns.

While Sampaio was struck by the practical benefits of xMAP-based testing, he was also impressed by its utility, finding it easy to work with xMAP Technology. Today, the Intercientifica team has now developed several newborn screening and prenatal tests based on xMAP, which they run on a MAGPIX® system. While their first tests multiplexed two analytes, the number of analytes run simultaneously on their tests has steadily expanded over time.

Today, Intercientifica serves the newborn screening and prenatal testing markets in both Brazil and Mexico. Its multiplex product kits can detect common newborn screening targets such as congenital hypothyroidism (TSH and T4), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (17OH), cystic fibrosis (IRT), and infectious diseases.

Automating xMAP-Based Workflows for High-Throughput Neonatal Screening

With so much demand for Intercientifica’s services, Sampaio and his team decided to automate their xMAP workflow for a popular NeoMAP 4Plex newborn screening test. The outcome is the integration of the MAGPIX system with the Hamilton Microlab Nimbus — including the production of data-analysis software for details of each batch as percentile, controls, samples median, and floating cut-off — with capacity to deliver 3,000 results in less than four hours. There are now more than 20 systems installed across Central and South America.

The Intercientifica team worked with Hamilton to design and build the automated workflow it leverages. “Our engineers worked to make the connection between Hamilton automation and the Luminex MAGPIX system,” Sampaio says. The project took a year to complete, and now the company has a fully automated, easy-to-use process for newborn screening. Automation allowed the team to increase their testing capacity by about 50 percent and to reduce the materials used in the workflow.

Learn more about xMAP Technology or about the Luminex Licensed Technologies Partner program.

Discover xMAP Technology Luminex Partner Program

If you’re based in Latin America, please reach out to dmendoza@luminexcorp.com.

Related Content:

At IMMUNOLOGY2023, Multiplex Technology was in the Spotlight

Multiplex immunoassays support vaccine development, immunology research, and other key applications within immunology

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IMMUNOLOGY2023: The Largest Conference of Immunology Professionals

The Luminex team was thrilled to attend IMMUNOLOGY2023, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists. Held this year in Washington, D.C., the event is the largest conference dedicated to immunology research in the world, bringing together thousands of experts from academia, industry, and government to share the latest updates in immunology research, vaccine development, looming public health threats, and more.

Distinguished Speakers and Presentations at IMMUNOLOGY2023

The meeting is famous for its highly-regarded key opinion leaders and presentations, and the 2023 show did not disappoint. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave a lecture about what experts within the field can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to better inform future pandemic preparedness efforts. Two other distinguished lectures, one from Douglas Green at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the other from Leslie Berg at the University of Colorado, focused on T cells — it’s encouraging to see how much progress has been made in understanding the role of these cells and how we can utilize them to deliver better patient care.

Workshop Presentations: Harnessing Multiplexing for Immunology Studies

world vaccine week presenter

Immunology is a popular application for users of xMAP® Technology. Whether you’re measuring cytokine response or detecting the full range of antibodies relevant to a potential infection, having a bead-based multiplex assay to support your research provides an enormous advantage. Immunologists were among the earliest groups of scientists to see the value of stepping away from single-plex ELISAs to adopt our customizable, bead-based multiplex technology to generate more data while using minimal sample volumes.

Such was the focus for two workshop presentations at the conference. In one, Anthony Saporita from MilliporeSigma spoke about xMAP Technology and how multiplexing kits allow for lot-to-lot consistency, sensitivity, flexibility, and reproducible sample measurement. He also highlighted the benefits of using extremely sensitive assays for the detection of low-abundance cytokines. In a separate talk, Luminex’s own Joanna Dragich gave a presentation on the power of xMAP multiplexing technology for vaccine development applications, from drug product characterization to serotype monitoring, lot-release testing, and post-market surveillance. She also spoke about how scientists may best approach designing custom multiplex assays for vaccine development.

Looking Ahead: IMMUNOLOGY2024 in Chicago, IL

If you attended IMMUNOLOGY2023, we hope you found it as illuminating as we did. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event in Chicago, IL!

Curious how xMAP Technology advances other immunology studies?

Check out our Immunology Resource Hub >>

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Top Six Challenges in Biomarker Research and Analysis

Here are some helpful tips for the top six challenges of your biomarker research and analysis, as well as how xMAP’s multiplexing technology can help you ensure swift, accurate results and accomplish your goals.

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1) Variability in Biomarker Results

Variability in biomarker test results can present complications for health scientists across research areas. Because biomarkers are often measured from biological samples, such as blood, urine, or tissue. These samples are susceptible to various biological and environmental factors, which may lead to variability in results. This variability can make it difficult to identify true biomarker signals and to replicate findings.

  • Luminex xMAP® Technology addresses this issue by allowing for the simultaneous measurement of multiple biomarkers in a single sample. Utilizing a single sample reduces variability in biomarker results—which often comes from using multiple samples and assays—to occur. Further, Luminex xMAP Technology is highly sensitive, enables robust detection with small sample sizes, and can be used along with automation, which ensures reproducibility and accuracy of results. For these reasons, using Luminex xMAP Technology is an effective way to reduce variability and achieve consistent and reliable biomarker measurements.

2) No Standardized Protocol for Biomarker Research

There is currently no standardized protocol for biomarker research, including sampling methods, storage conditions, and analytical techniques. This lack of standardization can lead to differences in results between studies and make it difficult to compare findings.

  • Using Luminex xMAP Technology can address the lack of standardization in biomarker research by providing a standardized platform for multiplex analysis of biomarkers. This technology allows for the simultaneous analysis of multiple biomarkers in a single sample, reducing the amount of sample needed and increasing efficiency. Luminex, along with our four research partners, also has standardized protocols for sample preparation, storage, and analysis, ensuring consistency across different studies and improving the reliability of results. By using this technology, researchers can compare results across multiple studies and evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions.

3) Disease Biology is Complex

The underlying biology of many diseases is intricate and multifaceted, making it difficult to identify a single biomarker or set of biomarkers able to accurately reflect disease status

  • xMAP multiplexing technology offers more comprehensive insight into potential biomarkers, allowing researchers to draw a more complete picture of complex biological mechanisms or disease states.
  • Luminex xMAP Technology currently has one of the largest selections of analytes through our network of partners, including leading life science companies such as Bio-Rad, Millipore Sigma, Bio-Techne, Thermo Fisher, and others.

4) Sample Size and Data Analysis

Biomarker research often requires large sample sizes and extensive data analysis, which can be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, finding reliable and accurate biomarkers requires a great investment of time and money from pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

  • xMAP multiplexing technology allows researchers to simultaneously detect multiple biomarkers in a single sample, thereby reducing the time required to analyze each biomarker individually. This increased throughput can lead to faster and more efficient biomarker studies. The ability to detect multiple biomarkers in a single sample also reduces the cost of reagents and sample preparation and the time and labor associated with running multiple assays separately.

5) Protein Biomarker Sensitivity and Specificity

Measurement of protein biomarkers may not be sensitive or specific enough for accurate detection or prediction of disease-related outcomes.

  • Luminex xMAP Technology uses microsphere-based assays that can detect multiple analytes simultaneously in a single sample, allowing for more comprehensive biomarker profiling. This technology also employs fluorescently encoded microspheres, which can be distinguished based on their unique spectral signatures, enabling the detection of multiple biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity. Luminex xMAP Technology also offers the flexibility to customize panels based on specific disease or research needs, providing a more tailored approach to biomarker detection and profiling. Overall, the use of Luminex xMAP Technology can improve the accuracy and precision of biomarker detection, leading to improved disease diagnosis and prediction of outcomes.

6) Heterogenous Biological Samples

Biological samples are often heterogeneous and include different cell types and physiological conditions that can affect the accuracy of protein biomarker research.

  • Luminex xMAP Technology allows for the analysis of multiple proteins simultaneously in a single sample, using fluorescently labeled microspheres specific to each protein. This allows for the detection of protein biomarkers in a heterogeneous sample and can identify specific changes in protein expression among different cell types and physiological conditions. Additionally, Luminex xMAP Technology offers high sensitivity and improved accuracy in identifying low-abundance proteins. Overall, using Luminex xMAP Technology can provide a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of protein biomarkers in complex biological samples.

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For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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