Tecan Spark (brand name or equal) with Fusion Options Technology custom configured Multimodal Microtiter Plate Reader

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Early Translational Branch (ETB) is in need of a multimodal microtiter plate reader, specifically identified as the Tecan Spark (brand name or equal) which will be required to replace a broken Tecan plate reader in the main laboratory. The new Tecan Spark (brand name or equal) will be the only plate reader with a fusion excitation and emission for 3D fluorescence scan, a prerequisite for Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) development. Also, this item will be the only plate reader to have injectors, in this lab.

Furthermore, the Tecan Spark (brand name or equal) with Fusion Optics technology is a multimodal microtiter plate reader incorporating dual monochromators and filters for both excitation and emission. This will allow independent selection between filters and monochromators for both excitation and emission. This unique feature enables high sensitivity fluorescence-based detection modes – including standard top and bottom measurements, TRF, FRET, TR-FRET and FP. All of which is used in the ETB laboratory, which typically involve the use of different instruments, here combined in a single instrument. The instrument software will provide NCATS the ability to select monochromator wavelengths on impulse. This ability will give NCATS significant latitude in the fluorophores and will lead to the ability to choose specified assay designs. In addition, the instrument provides luminescence-based detection, another highly used detection modality.