Microplate Reader and Washer Guide

Microplate readers are designed to scan, analyze, and obtain numerical results from chemical reactions conducted in microplates. But that is where the simplicity ends. To start with, there are many types of different microplate readers, all with different functions and capabilities. Different types of microplate readers include:

• Multi-detection microplate readers
• Absorbance microplate readers
• Fluorescence microplate readers
• Luminescence microplate readers

What type of microplate reader you purchase depends heavily on what types of tests you will need to run. Standard applications run with a microplate reader include: ELISAs, protein assays, cell growth assays, and nucleic acid quantitation. Other capabilities to consider include whether you will need to read kinetic assays, heat or chill plates, or to scan wavelengths.

Knowing which of these applications you will require, will help in the decision of whether fluorescence or luminescence capabilities are needed. While these capabilities will add to the cost of the microplate reader considerably, they are also extremely useful for certain assays.

An important function of your microplate reader is also the included software. If you run a large number of assays with different formats, you will need software capabilites to match those needs. For example, software that will allow you to store methods and calculate results with minimal manipulation. On the other end of the spectrum, certain ELISAs or protein assays can be easily calculated with a simple spreadsheet. Though this would require knowledge of spreadsheet building and the time to build it.

If you have more questions that were not answered on this page. Please feel free to contact us, and someone from our sales team will help you find the product you need.