Almac and Edinburgh Instruments, a manufacturer of fluorescence spectrometers, have launched a fluorescence assay system under the Flexyte brand. These assays have already been developed for 11 representative protein kinases. Protease assays will follow in the near future, with lipid kinases also in development. The protein kinase programme marks a successful collaboration between Almac Sciences, Edinburgh Instruments and Dundee University.
Avoiding radioactivity, antibodies and associated costs, fluorescent lifetime technology enables homogenous, robust and reliable assays with minimised interference from problem compounds, says Almac. The technology will also allow miniaturisation and multiplexing while maintaining information-rich output.
Generic substrates enable fluorescent lifetime assays to be configured for a broad panel of Ser/Thr protein kinases, covering more than 100 different kinases - and with performance comparable to radiometric assays.
Almac says the Flexyte screen approach is applicable to any protein kinase having the appropriate peptide substrates. Assay reagents and protocols will be available in bulk form for high throughput screening or in kit form for lower capacity assays.
"Flexyte will offer significant advantages to screening laboratories of all capacities by applying the benefits of fluorescence lifetime to a high performance kinase assay platform," said Almac Sciences" president and md, Stephen Barr.
