Whether youre conducting assay development, running high-throughput screens, or performing basic research theres a FLIPR®  Calcium Assay Kit that meets your assay needs. With four different assay kits, Molecular Devices has the broadest selection of calcium mobilization assays to address diversified biological targets.

FLIPR Calcium Assay Kits combine fluorescent calcium sensitive dyes which measure changes in intracellular calcium, with patented quench technology that minimizes background fluorescence.  Measurement of intracellular calcium occurs via a homogeneous (no-wash) assay method that optimizes cellular response and increases cell-based high-throughput screening. 

 

The assay requirements for rapid kinetics of calcium signaling events call for validation and optimization of the assay to ensure data quality. FLIPR Calcium Assay Kits are optimized and validated for use with the FLIPR^TETRA® System and take advantage of its proven ability to simultaneously pipette and read to capture the rapid kinetics of calcium signaling, while ensuring you have confidence and reliability in your assay data.

 

Key Assay Features and Benefits

·               Homogeneous (no-wash) assay method enables maximum fluorescent signal from a wide range of cell types, by reducing cell wash artifacts.

·               Reduced well-to-well variability improves the quality (Z-factor) and reliability (CV %) of high-throughput screening assays.

·               Universal mix-and-read protocol accelerates assay workflow and increases throughput.

·               Superior signal-to-noise ratio facilitates confirmation of transiently transfected receptor activity during assay development.

 

Four kit formulations are available to address a dynamic range of receptor targets and types of cell lines. Among the many biological targets that have been successfully tested are chemokines; chimeras and promiscuous-coupled receptors; ligand gated calcium channels; and receptors for small peptides, orphan, endogenous, and low-expression receptors. For more information please visit the FLIPR Calcium Assay Description tab.

 

FLIPR Calcium Kits provide a homogeneous assay for GPCR drug discovery:

FLIPR Calcium Kits include a calcium sensitive dye that is taken into the cytoplasm of the cell during incubation.  The kits masking technology remains outside the cell and blocks background fluorescence. Upon ligand binding to the receptor, calcium is released into the cytoplasm of the cell.  The dye binds to the intracellular calcium and becomes fluorescent.

Choose the Right FLIPR Calcium Assay for Your Specific Biological Target

There are four FLIPR Calcium kit formulations available.  These formulations are specifically designed to address a broad range of targets, including challenging receptors such as chemokines, receptors for small peptides, as well as transient, endogenous, and low-expression receptors which have been difficult to assay with methods that use wash protocols.

 

Calcium Assay	Product Description
Calcium Kit	First homogenous no wash kit incorporating calcium sensitive fluorophore and proprietary quench technology designed for robust calcium flux assays such as the response given by agonism of the Muscarinic M1 receptor.
Calcium 3 Kit	Improved signal window with new fluorophore enables detection of chemokines especially.   Quench technology designed for targets that have proteins or peptides as agonists.
Calcium 4 Kit	Contains an updated proprietary masking dye with higher light extinction in the extracellular solution which significantly reduces background and increases signal window.  It is more inert and reduces compound interference. Successful targets include calcium channels, Chemokine receptors, and transient transfections.
Calcium 5 Kit	A new, novel fluorophore provides maximum signal assay window in conjunction with reduced background capabilities of the superior masking technology used in the Calcium 4 kit.  In addition to the above assays, receptors with low receptor expression and other targets that give a small calcium response are candidates for this kit.

 

Patented technology

FLIPR Assay Kits from Molecular Devices employ a quenching dye to reduce background fluorescence and improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The patented quench technology (U.S. patent number 6,420,183, EPO patent number 0 906 572) is offered to drug discovery and life science researchers exclusively by Molecular Devices, through the purchase of FLIPR Assay Kits.