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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What is the RT-CES® technology?
ACEA RT-CES® technology integrates microelectronics with cell and molecular biology. The core of the system is a microelectronic biosensor array incorporated into each well of standard sized 16 and 96 well microplates. This permits the RT-CES® System to measure the activity of living cells in real time without any labels or reporters. Any number of cellular parameters such as attachment, spreading, growth, death, and even specific morphological changes can be simply and reliably detected with the RT-CES® System.
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Is your system a flow cytometer?
No.Tthe RT-CES® System requires no labels or reporters, and looks at many cells at a time C not in single cell fashion like a flow cytometer. The actual measurement is made by analyzing the interaction of living cells with the microelectronic sensor array. A weak electronic signal precisely generated by the RT-CES® System is all that is required to obtain data.
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What does the system measure?
The actual variable being measured is derived from the change in electrical impedance as the living cells interact with the biocompatible microelectrode surface in the microplate well. Using our proprietary algorithm, the signal is converted to a specific parameter called the Cell Index. The Cell Index is an excellent measure of what the cells are actually doing over time C growing, spreading, changing shape, dying, responding to specific stimuli, etc. The Cell Index measurement has been reviewed and accepted for publication purposes in a number of journals. Please check our website or contact us for reprints.
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Does the electronic signal in any way affect the cells?
No. The signal used is very weak and non-invasive. Repeated studies at ACEA Biosciences and elsewhere have confirmed the technique to be harmless to the cells.
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Is the system durable, especially the station that sits inside an incubator?
The RT-CES® System component that is placed in the incubator was specifically designed to withstand the high temperature and humidity of laboratory incubators.
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The system is configured for continuous readings. Can it be used as a plate reader where continuous reading is not required?
The RT-CES® System is designed for real-time, label free analysis using proprietary ACEA microplates. It is not designed to be a plate reader, but the system can be easily reconfigured as a plate reader if dynamic information is not critical to the assay. Please contact us for details.
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Are there any publications or references for the RT-CES® technology?
Yes. Please check our website or contact us for details
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What would RT-CES® add to our current assay protocols?
The RT-CES® System provides many benefits to the user. The system requires no labels or reporters, simplifying assay design and significantly reducing labor requirements. The system operates in real-time C this provides the user with instantaneous readings of experimental results, and greatly improves the ability of the user to identify significant cellular changes that reflect response of the cells to certain stimuli (added drugs, hormones, etc.). Measurements are made throughout the course of the entire experiment C hundreds of hours if necessary C and this gives the user much time-related information that is typically not available with conventional methodologies. We believe that this Continuous QC feature is of great value to the user, and greatly helps in optimizing further experimental design.
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Can the cells be photographically imaged in your system?
Yes. cells can be imaged directly on our E-Plate® devices. |
Can your plates be used on a plate reader?
ACEA RT-CES® system was designed using standard microplate dimensions, and is compatible with most microplate pipeting and plate handling systems. The proprietary design of the ACEA E-Plates® requires the plate be read electronically on an ACEA RT-CES® station. However, ACEA plates may be read, for example, colorimetrically, on certain plate readers, depending on the specific design of the plate reader.
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How does cell growth on an ACEA E-Plate® compare to growth on standard cell culture plastic?
ACEA E-plate® are made of biocompatible materials and are tissue culture treated at the time of manufacture. They are sterile, and designed for single use. Cell growth on ACEA E-plates is essentially identical to what is obtained on most standard cell culture plates.
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Are the E-Plates reusable?
Like conventional microtiter cell cultures plates, they are not designed or intended for re-use.
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Can the E-Plates be treated with different matrices?
Yes.Tthe plates can be coated with any number of matrices to enhance or prevent cell attachment, such as Poly-L-lysine or fibronectin.
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Why should I use RT-CES® E-Plates when I can buy cheap plastic plates and get the same results? Is the system cost effective when compared to system using standard microtiter plate technology?
Based on internal ACEA cost studies, the ACEA system offers many opportunities for actual cost savings by the user. First, there are no expensive labels or reporters required, nor are there expensive optical systems involved. This is a significant expense for most laboratories. Second, since the plates are read continuously and automatically, labor requirements are significantly reduced. Many thousands of data points are taken throughout the entire course of the experiment. This is simply not feasible with current optical-based systems using regular plastic plates. Finally, a large amount of QC information is automatically generated at no additional cost.
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What do the cells attach to at the bottom of the well?
Cells attach to the planar gold electrode sensor arrays at the bottom of the wells, which cover over 75% of the surface area. All components of the RT-CES® E-Plate® system are biocompatible and the microplates are sterile and tissue culture treated. ACEA's extensive quality control process assures users that each E-Plate® will yield consistent results.
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Are measurements in the different wells independent?
Yes, each well is measured individually, in sequential fashion. Since the RT-CES® system measures essentially the entire bottom surface of the well, the dynamic range of the system approaches 2 logs of cell growth- from 100 cells per well to confluence. Also, well-to-well precision and accuracy are excellent. In our laboratory we typically achieve well-to-well CV's of less than 10%.
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What does the Cell Index mean?
The RT-CES® system measures the Cell Index (which reflects cell number, cell morphology and cell adhesion of the cultured cells) over the entire time course of the experiment. This measurement over time is presented to the user in the shape of a curve. The combination of Cell Index (that is, what the cells are actually doing in culture) and a clear kinetic, or time dependent, measurement provides information typically not available to the user. We believe that there is a wealth of information in these kinetically-derived curves. In other words, the "patterns" that are generated can be analyzed as well, providing the user with a considerable amount of important information beyond what is possible with typical "end point" assays. |
How do I separate morphological changes from cell number changes?
The time dependent curves generated from RT-CES® yield a wealth of information about the actual kinetics of cellular events occurring in the wells. Morphology changes yield curves which differ distinctly from those generated as a result of changes in cell number. The overall ability to understand the kinetics of the experiment provides a unique parameter for the investigator, and is critical to understanding the overall outcome of the experiment.
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Your system gives a generic signal about the cell status. How do I determine the specific biological function?
The RT-CES® system is adaptable to many experimental designs. For example, a great deal of information can be obtained using conventional agonist/antagonist methodology. Typical dose response curves can be generated, and if the user chooses, a time parameter can be incorporated that provides additional kinetic information. Often, the pattern generated reflects the underlying mechanism of the system being studied, and data mining of these patterns can provide even more information to the user.
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Which cell lines have been tested and which have not worked in your system?
We have tested hundreds of cell lines as well as some primary cells. Most adherent cell types can be tested on the RT-CES® system. Non-adherent cells cannot be detected by the sensors and thus cannot be measured directly. However, in certain experiments this can be a benefit especially for NK-mediated cytotoxicity.
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Who are your customers and what are their applications?
We have a wide range of customers in the pharmaceutical, academic, and government arenas, including most big pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies and top academia and governmental institutions. Many of the users have multiple units. Our customers use the RT-CES® system for board applications, including cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, cell adhesion, receptor tyrosine kinases, G protein coupled receptors, RNAi functional assays, nature killer cell activity, ADCC, CDC, viral neutralizing antibody detection and bacterial toxin neutralizing antibody detection. |
The system is configured for continuous readings. Can it be used as a plate reader where continuous reading is not required?
The RT-CES® System is designed for real-time, label free analysis using proprietary ACEA microplates. It is not designed to be a plate reader, but the system can be easily reconfigured as a plate reader if dynamic information is not critical to the assay. Please contact us for details.
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