5 Ways the New xMAP INTELLIFLEX® System Will Empower Your Research

The newest member of the xMAP® family delivers exciting new features that allow you to do more with less

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The next generation of xMAP® Technology is officially available! The new xMAP multiplexing technology with modern features to enhance performance, empower assay development innovation, and simplify the user experience.

With several new features, xMAP INTELLIFLEX offers far more than just five benefits for researchers looking to expand their discovery, but we know that in this day and age, your time is more precious than ever, so we’ve consolidated the key benefits here to provide a summary of the top five ways xMAP INTELLIFLEX can empower your research and allow you to do more with less.

5 Ways xMAP INTELLIFLEX® Empowers Your Research:

  1. It delivers reliable, comprehensive results—whether you design your own assays or use commercially available kits.

    xMAP INTELLIFLEX builds on more than 25 years of xMAP innovation and features the widest dynamic range of any xMAP platform, allowing you to avoid repeat testing due to out-of-range values. In addition to supporting custom assay development, the system is also compatible with existing commercially available assays from both Luminex and our extensive partner network. Between femtogram-level sensitivity from some assays and its broad dynamic range, xMAP INTELLIFLEX Systems allow you to generate data even from very low levels of protein or nucleic acid.

  2. It maximizes the data you can get from less sample.

    xMAP Technology is well known for reading up to 500 microspheres in a single reaction. The platform now offers a unique dual reporting capability through an optional second reporter channel, effectively doubling the amount of data you can generate from each analyte.

  3. The software is flexible and intuitive.

    xMAP INTELLIFLEX Software features a modular, building block design, allowing you to quickly master the platform with the ability to optimize workflows and start collecting data quickly. Additionally, data can be exported into common analysis tools with customizable views, simplifying analysis and data management.

  4. We prioritized ease of use.

    This intuitive system streamlines the user experience: barcode scanning minimizes errors, and our easy-to-use software requires minimal training. Control everything through the integrated touchscreen, which can be operated effortlessly, even while wearing gloves (don’t worry, we checked).

  5. Minimal bench space is no problem.

    We know that bench space is at a premium in every lab. With this in mind, we designed the systems to be as compact as possible. The PC and monitor are built in, and while you can connect a wireless keyboard and mouse, neither is necessary to operate the instrument.

The new xMAP INTELLIFLEX platform packs a lot of value in a compact system, with low- and high-plex capabilities and flexible, intuitive software, xMAP INTELLIFLEX offers everything that modern labs need to save time and precious sample. For a more comprehensive view of this new flow-based platform, check out this recent presentation that discusses some of the exciting applications made possible by xMAP INTELLIFLEX, or head on over to our website for more details.

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

Learn more about xMAP INTELLIFLEX

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Why Researchers Love xMAP® Technology

With more than 54,000 cited papers, xMAP® is the world’s most used multiplexing technology

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Since the breakthrough that led to the development of ® INTELLIFLEX” href=”/intelliflex/#overview”>xMAP® INTELLIFLEX, is an excellent example of that. Today, scientists using xMAP systems can detect as many as 500 analytes in a single reaction.

Researchers have used xMAP for novel applications across broad research areas. Some of its prominent applications include biomarker discovery and profiling, gene expression, protein quantification, DNA barcoding, mapping signaling networks, vaccine development, cancer research, pathogen detection, and HLA typing for transplants.

We asked and our xMAP users answered—why do you love xMAP?

We recently connected with scientists in the xMAP Community and asked them to share their thoughts on how xMAP Technology has made a difference to them, and we were humbled by the responses.

Brian McFarlin, PhD, Professor, Associate Dean, and co-director of the Applied Physiology Lab at the University of North Texas uses xMAP Technology to explore inflammatory pathways and their associated molecules. “The power of xMAP is not being restricted to a small set of markers, but being able to expand to include novel biomarkers without impacting throughput or budget,” he said.

One of the most important factors for his lab is reducing the time to get results. “We used to spend weeks just analyzing three cytokines, but now we can spend two days and analyze up to 100 cytokines on thousands of samples,” he told us. Dr. McFarlin recommends that xMAP users embrace automation if possible—even if it’s just a good electronic repeater pipette. He also encourages users to reach out to Luminex’s Field Application Scientists with questions. “Take advantage of their knowledge of xMAP,” he said. “They want to help!”

Thomas Joos, PhD, Deputy Managing Director of the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) in Germany, has a long history with xMAP Technology. “It is our workhorse for immunoassays at NMI,” where more than 35 scientists, technicians, and engineers use it due to its speed, ease of use, multiplexing capabilities, and cost-effectiveness. They rely on it for serological assays, classical sandwich immunoassays, ® INTELLIFLEX DR-SE System” href=”/?wpdmdl=46646″>dual reporter analysis and the widest dynamic range of any xMAP platform.

Want to learn more? Learn more about xMAP INTELLIFLEX here.

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Custom Assay Development Services Are Now Available Through LuminexPLORE Lab!

Need help using xMAP® Technology to couple beads or develop a new assay? Our team of expert scientists has you covered!

Since Luminex scientists developed Not all users have the time or expertise to develop new assays, and custom immunoassay services are in huge demand. To meet that need, we’ve expanded our team and developed a service dedicated to developing custom assays⁠—the LuminexPLORE Lab.

Whether you are interested in using an existing kit to study a different species, interrogating an unusual tissue sample type, or anything in between, our team of Application Scientists are assay development experts who provide custom lab services. These tests range from discrete tasks (such as bead coupling) to developing and validating an entire multiplex immunoassay. We work closely with you to ensure we understand each project’s specific goals and deliver precisely what’s needed.

The team behind LuminexPLORE Lab

The LuminexPLORE Lab is run by Jackie Surls, PhD, an immunoassay expert with a background in building out molecular biology laboratories and designing molecular tests. Her familiarity with xMAP Technology made her a great fit to launch our custom services lab in 2019.

More recently, Jackie has added several members to her team. Here are the newest scientists in the lab:
Jackie Surls, PhD, LuminexPLORE Lab Custom Assay Development Director

Rhea Kang, PhD

Rhea Kang, PhD, LuminexPLORE Lab Scientist

Background: Worked extensively in proteomics and genomics at a major academic medical center.

Why the lab matters: “We’re helping people and making contributions to the scientific community.”

Advice for customers: “We’re always happy to set up a meeting, answer questions, and talk about how the LuminexPLORE Lab can help customers—whether they’re just thinking about a project or have already tried it themselves.”

Frank Medina, PhD

Background: Researched protein degradation in an academic lab and processed COVID‑19 samples and tests at a CLIA lab.

Why use xMAP Technology? “You can do anything with xMAP Technology, the possibilities are endless. From proteomics or nucleic acid assays to serology assays, it’s so customizable.”

Advice for customers: “A lot of labs want to try developing custom assays on their own, but it can be so much easier to come to the home of the technology and work with us. With our custom assay development service, you know you’re getting the best assay possible because Luminex scientists are developing it.”

Frank Medina, PhD, LuminexPLORE Lab Scientist

Carrie Wittmer, MS

Carrie Wittmer, MS, LuminexPLORE Lab Scientist

Background: Researched neurodegenerative diseases in biotech and pharma, in part by using xMAP Technology to generate more data from low-volume samples by multiplexing immunoassays instead of running serial ELISA tests.

How the lab can help: “Everyone here is a dedicated scientist; we all have a wide range of industry and academic experience.”

Advice for customers: “If you’re struggling with a project, it’s probably something we can help with. You may be experiencing a problem we’ve already gone through and can solve for you.”

LuminexPLORE Lab offers custom assay development services, assay troubleshooting, and more! If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help accelerate your research, check out the LuminexPLORE Lab page here.

Learn more about our LuminexPLORE Lab Offerings

Accelerate Your Research Today >

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Meet xMAP INTELLIFLEX®! A First Look at the Newest xMAP® Technology Platform

xMAP INTELLIFLEX® delivers double the data for each analyte with the new dual reporter feature

For the past 25 years, ®” href=”/INTELLIFLEX/”>xMAP INTELLIFLEX® brings exciting new benefits, including low- and high-plex capabilities, quick time to reliable results, and dual reporter capability, which delivers data for two parameters per analyte simultaneously for up to 500 analytes per well.

Launching soon, xMAP INTELLIFLEX is the next generation of our xMAP platforms. It features a compact footprint, an integrated touchscreen PC, and intuitive software—simplifying the user experience—and will be backward compatible with an extensive menu of more than 1,200 commercially available assays. Further, with its open architecture design, the xMAP INTELLIFLEX System will support assay development innovation for new and existing users alike.

The evolution of the dual reporter system

Previous xMAP systems relied on two lasers (red and green) to identify each bead and detect the captured analyte. The xMAP INTELLIFLEX System incorporates a third laser (violet), which enables the measurement of two parameters per analyte for up to 500 analytes per well. This dual reporter feature will be ideal for isotyping applications, such as detecting two antibody isotypes to the same antigen. Researchers in pharmacology and drug discovery could also use it to measure free versus bound drug. With xMAP, the possibilities are endless.

In validation studies conducted by Luminex and our partners, there has been excellent concordance between data generated using xMAP INTELLIFLEX and previous xMAP platforms, indicating that assays run on earlier platforms should be compatible with INTELLIFLEX. We’ve also demonstrated that signals in the dual reporter system are clearly discriminated, so there’s no interference between the two elements being detected. With a broad dynamic range and the power to optimize workflows, there’s a lot to be xCITED about regarding the new xMAP INTELLIFLEX.

xMAP INTELLIFLEX in action

In a recent presentation, Luminex team members Dr. Sherry Dunbar and Josh Jenkins offered a sneak peek at some of the new system’s features and discussed some of the exciting applications made possible by INTELLIFLEX. Also included is an overview of the latest research being conducted on the xMAP platform—including recent work in immunogenicity, where xMAP Technology enabled the simultaneous screening of anti-drug-antibodies and isotyping in a single multiplex assay.

Don’t just take our word for it—see for yourself why xMAP has been the gold standard in multiplexing for more than 25 years. View the entire presentation ® INTELLIFLEX” href=”/intelliflex/#contact-us”>sign up to be among the first to know when xMAP INTELLIFLEX launches!

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

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COVID-19 and Characterizing the Immune Response: A Method for Isotyping Using xMAP® Technology

In a recent white paper, authors describe an assay modification to measure the COVID-19 antibody response in serum samples

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While early measurements of COVID-19 patients’ antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 focused on the IgG isotype, IgA and IgM responses are also important for fully understanding the body’s immune response to COVID-19.

“IgA titers have been found to be significantly higher in severe COVID-19 patients, and remained higher for a longer time than what has been seen in milder cases,” the authors pointed out. “Serological IgM and IgA responses may also be predictive of survival, with anti-spike IgM and IgA enriched in surviving donors and nucleocapsid-specific IgM and IgA at higher levels in individuals who died.”

To help investigators better characterize an individual’s immune status, the Luminex Team designed a new method to expand our ® SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen IgG Assay for Serological Isotype Profiling” href=”/?wpdmdl=45384″>white paper.

The study began with the xMAP SARS-CoV-2 Multi-Antigen IgG Assay—a serological assay that uses multiplex beads to detect antibodies reactive to multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens in human serum and plasma. The assay kit detects IgG antibodies in serum and plasma that bind to the viral nucleocapsid antigen, the spike 1 domain of the spike antigen, and the receptor binding domain portion of the spike protein. In the white paper, the assay was further modified to evaluate IgM and IgA responses.

For validation, the authors demonstrated the chronological evolution of the three isotypes in donor samples. They analyzed 20 samples collected prior to December 2019 and 66 samples collected from 40 unique donors who were SARS-CoV-2-positive. Nine donors were sampled at multiple time points, ranging from 1 to 116 days post-symptom onset. As part of this work, the team also tested multiple assay conditions and detailed the technical procedure and results.

The modified assay demonstrated the expected earlier onset of IgM and IgA, followed by a faster return to pre-infection levels compared to IgG (which is more prevalent). This was seen both in single-timepoint and longitudinal samples taken from individual donors post-onset of symptomatic illness.

Further, the authors investigated how the IgA, IgG, and IgM titers for all three antigens (nucleocapsid, RBD, and S1) changed following the onset of symptoms, and noted that serological “IgA and IgM collectively make up around 20% of total circulating antibody in the blood, and reflect different stages of the immune response during COVID-19 progression.”

This update to the xMAP assay enables the rapid and high-throughput quantification of the IgM and IgA responses to multiple viral antigens, supporting improved characterization of the human immune response to SARS-CoV-2. As the pandemic evolves, being able to determine a patient’s immune status will be a critical part of understanding COVID-19 progression.

Read more about the study Read the White Paper on the Study Here.

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

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