The Fluoroskan Ascent, a dedicated microplate fluorometer, offers high sensitivity for a wide variety of fluorometric applications. It features compatibility with 1- to 384- well plate formats and PCR plates, up to three on-board dispensers, an incubator and a shaker. Simultaneous reagent injection and signal detection enable suitability to fast kinetic applications. Easy-to-use Ascent Software provides a powerful tool for data handling. Compatibility with automation makes it ideal for HTS.
Product Detail
Fluoroskan Ascent is a dedicated fluorometer with sensitivity and flexibility for all kinds of assays in industrial and academic research and for clinical applications. Cell biology, immunology and molecular biology are all important application areas. Robot-friendly hardware and software have been optimized for high-volume testing.
Application areas of Fluoroskan Ascent
Calcium flux assays
Reporter gene assays
Immunoassays
Cell proliferation
Hybridization assays
Enzyme activity
Cytotoxicity
FRET assays
Neonatology
Multi-drug resistance
Cell adhesion
Bacterial quantitation
Quantitation of PCR products
Molecular beacon assays
Phagocytosis
DNA quantitation
State-of-the-art optical system for unrivaled sensitivity
Up to three dispensers for flash and rapid kinetic applications
Flexible plate formats, from 1 to 384, enable reading in primary wells
Reads from above or below the plate
On-board incubation and orbital shaking
Completely robot compatible when automation is essential
Highly-visual easy-to use
State-of-the-art optical system for unrivaled sensitivity Comprised of a mirror and lenses, the advanced optical system of Fluoroskan Ascent produces a highly focused light beam. The sharp focus prevents crosstalk and ensures accurate readings. The beam can also be set for 384-well plates. At 3500 positions per plate, the scanning resolution of Fluoroskan Ascent is excellent, which is an important advantage for reading petri dishes, for example.
Automatic gain selection ensures the best possible sensitivity and dynamic range without any adjustments. It compensates for the intensity spectra of the halogen lamp and PMT spectral response. In addition, on-board autocalibration allows self-diagnosis and ensures comparable results from day to day.
Up to three dispensers for flash and rapid kinetic applications For easy and accurate reagent addition, up to three dispensers can be fitted on board Fluoroskan Ascent. Dispensing volumes can be adjusted in 1µl increments over a volume range of 1-1000 µl. Speed and precision are important advantages of these dispensers. The system can dispense and measure simultaneously, which enables Ca2+ measurement and other rapid kinetic applications. The fast read time of Fluoroskan Ascent, just 15 seconds for a 96-well plate, is another important advantage for kinetic applications.
Flexible plate formats, from 1 to 384, enable reading in primary wells Designed for superior flexibility, Fluoroskan Ascent reads any microplate format, including 1-96 and 384-well plates. The format is simple to select from a database covering the most common plate types. Customized plate formats can be set using the template editor. Automatic plate positioning is directly controlled by the reader, ensuring correct placement in the carrier, regardless of plate dimensions. With its 384-well reading function, Fluoroskan Ascent offers even greater flexibility for microplate reading. It is designed for high-throughput screening and microvolume assays, and its 384-well capability is especially important in the fields of molecular biology and drug development. The narrow optical beam of 1.5 mm instead of the normal 3 mm is easy to set for 384-well reading.
Reads from above or below the plate The easy-to-switch optical unit reads from above or below the plate. For cell biological applications, reading from below the plate allows closer proximity to cells and greater sensitivity. Black microplates, read from above the plate, eliminate crosstalk and reduce background signal, producing a better signal-to-noise ratio.
On-board incubation and orbital shaking An incubator is available for cell biology, enzyme assays and other applications requiring precise temperature control. Built-in orbital shaking, another advanced feature, speeds up reaction times and ensures effective mixing. Both the speed and amplitude of shaking can be adjusted.
Completely robot compatible Robotic integration is simple and effective with the Fluoroskan Ascent.
The plate carrier allows convenient access for different kinds of robotic arms. It has been designed to enable portrait gripping of the plate with the gripper of less than 60 mm and also landscape gripping with the gripper of less than 65 mm. In addition, wall edges of the carrier have been beveled to aid the plate to slide down to the carrier.
Ascent Software is easy to integrate with robotic and HIS/LIMS systems. The execution of predefined assays can be controlled remotely and the software can be set up to export and import data automatically.
The easiest combination for high-volume testing is to add the Relay System, which offers a completely integrated package with both instrumentation and software.
1-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, 96-, 384-well plates, Terasaki and PCR plates. Can also be programmed for non-standard configurations. Maximum dimensions 90 mm x 134 mm x 25 mm
Light source :
Quartz halogen lamp 30 W
Detector :
Photomultiplier tube
Excitation wavelength range :
from 320 nm to 700 nm
Emission wavelength range :
from 360 nm to 800 nm
Filters :
High-quality interference filters. Both excitation and emission filter wheels hold a maximum of eight filters.
Filters included :
Excitation filters: 355 nm, 485 nm
Emission filters: 460 nm, 538 nm
Excitation filter selection :
320 nm, 355 nm, 390 nm, 430 nm, 440 nm, 444 nm, 485 nm, 530 nm, 544 nm, 578 nm, 584 nm, 646 nm. Other filters available upon request.