Assay Develop­ment

The identification of the effects of new drug candidates requires extensive molecular investigations of cellular signal transduction pathways.

Miniaturized immunoassays can be used to detect differences in the activation of key proteins (pharmacodynamic and predictive biomarkers) in cell lines, tissue biopsies and tumors.

Reverse-phase protein arrays (RPA) and bead-based assay systems allow the comprehensive analysis of very small sample amounts.

All around Luminex Bead Assays - Video on Youtube

Services

  • Analysis of signal transduction pathways (phosphorylation cascades)
  • Biomarker identification
  • Structure of immunoassays
  • Sample screening

Techniques, methods, equipment

Production of protein microarray chips (production clean room)

Reverse-phase protein microaarrays

  • Protein/Drug Profiling with Treated Cell Culture and Tissue Samples
  • Analysis of patient biopsies, tumor sections, animal models

Western blot in higher throughput (chemiluminescence imager, Licor Odyssey fluorescence scanner)

Antibody and antigen microarrays

Bead-based assays (multiple Luminex systems)

  • multiplex sandwich immunoassays, antigen/peptide arrays for autoimmune screening
  • Serene screening, epitope mapping

ELISA: sample screening, assay development

Antibody characterization, protein-protein interaction analysis (Biacore 2000)

Networks

Universities
Tübingen, Ulm, Marburg, Heidelberg, Edinburgh, ETH Zurich, Lund University, Cambridge

Clinics
University Hospital Tübingen, Charite Berlin, Hospital Großhadern, Inselspital Bern