Immunofluorescence (IF) is a technique which is widely used in cancer research laboratories which uses antibodies to detect antigens present at the surface of fixed tissue sections with fluorescent-labeled antibodies. The resulting staining can be visualized under a fluorescence microscope.
Visualizing different markers on the same tissue section, thanks to the different microscope filters, is a technique known as mutiplexed IF, a key research application.
Lunaphore’s microfluidic technology FFeX is able to dramatically reduce IF turnaround times for the first marker to an average of 25-30 minutes for FFPE IF, which greatly impacts the overall multiplexing turnaround times. For instance, a 6-plex plus counterstaining can be performed in approximately 4h30, while a 3-plex plus counterstaining can be done in under 2h30.
An open research device, LabSat® Research, is currently available, and is able to dramatically reduce Multiplexed IF turnaround times, among other applications, while offering high staining quality and ensuring reproducibility.
Lunaphore is currently developing a high-multiplexing instrument for research laboratories*.