Expedeon, Heidelberg, Germany, and Cambridge, UK, has introduced Lightning-Link metal labeling kits for use in multiple immunoassay-based applications for single-cell analysis. The new kits will enable users to enhance the phenotypic analysis of heterogeneous cell populations. The kits increase multiplexing capability compared with fluorophore labeling. They can also improve sample throughput and research output.
Metal labeling uses rare metal isotopes instead of fluorophores for antibody labeling, distinctly increasing the available analytical spectrum. Because the metals do not produce the background noise associated with fluorophores, multiplexing capabilities are greatly increased. This technique is utilized in fields such as hematology, immunology, oncology, and phosphoproteomics through associated applications such as dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescence immunoassays.

Lanckriet

Heikki Lanckriet, MD, Expedeon.

By using antibodies or other probes labeled with purified metal isotopes, mass cytometers can detect more than 50 different parameters at a single-cell level, exceeding the dimensionality of any other flow cytometry methodology currently on the market. Expedeon’s metal labeling kits require just 30 seconds of hands-on time, while current methods take hours to perform.

“The single-cell biology market continues to be one of the fastest growing markets within biotechnology,” says Heikki Lanckriet, MD, CEO of Expedeon. “With researchers increasingly looking to deliver more information within each assay, it is clear that higher-plex solutions will dominate the space. We are excited to offer a solution to the limitations with regards to the breadth of reagents currently available by simplifying processes and accelerating timelines.”

For more information, visit Expedeon.