Innovations in the field of life sciences-2009: No. 8
8th place according to The Scientist. A new method for evaluating the effectiveness of metabolismDeveloped by Massachusetts-based Seahorse Bioscience, the XF96 analyzer is the first of its kind to evaluate the effectiveness of two main mechanisms of energy synthesis in a cell: mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis.
The data obtained by this analyzer provides specialists with a detailed picture of cellular metabolism and disorders of energy mechanisms in various diseases. Seahorse Bioscience Vice President for Sales and Marketing says that with the help of the new device, experiments of unprecedented scale and complexity can be carried out.
The currently generally accepted estimation of the amount of oxygen consumed by cells by Clark is a complex method that requires a lot of time and provides a minimum of information. The XF96 analyzer allows for 35-90 minutes to measure not only oxygen consumption (an indicator of mitochondrial respiration activity), but also the level of extracellular acidification, which is a side effect of glycolysis. After placing a small volume of cell suspension in a microplate, the analyzer registers changes in the level of oxygen dissolved in the medium and the acidity of the medium using optical biosensors. 96 wells of the tablet used by the analyzer allow testing the effect of four drugs on cell metabolism, in particular on its bioenergetics, in one cycle of the device operation.
The analyzer appeared on the market in January 2009, since then more than 400 copies have been sold. Currently, the cost of the device ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 US dollars.