As the world’s first digital microfluidics (DMF) based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system, Alto™ is a uniquely modular and adaptable platform. Without needing to upgrade their hardware, customers benefit from new features, platform improvements, and access to new consumable products. With each software version, we have delivered additional functionalities and data improvements to Alto, and the Nicosystem™ version 2.5.2 is no exception. Read on to learn more about the improvements and features included in our latest software release.
Table of contents
- Measure binding at 37°C
- Improve reproducibility by conditioning sensors
- Adjust sampling rate
- Access system data from the admin page
- Improved thermal, optics and fluidics performance
Measure binding at 37°C
Users can now set the temperature of the sensor zone to 37°C during experiments, enabling the collection of physiologically relevant SPR data. Conducting experiments at higher temperatures is also commonly used to increase the kinetics of an interaction, allowing for better measurement of binding affinity for tight interactions. To learn more about the benefits of running experiments at 37°C, check out our new tech note.
Multi-cycle kinetics results of H5N1 HA (analyte) binding to rabbit antibody RM02 (ligand) on Alto at 37°C (left) and 25°C (right). The analyte was titrated from 0.617 nM to 50 nM. Black curves are the Langmuir 1:1 binding fit model generated by the Nicosystem software.
Binding kinetic rate constants for H5N1 HA and RM02 antibody on Alto at different analysis temperatures.
| Temperature | ka (M-1s-1) | kd (s-1) | KD (nM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25°C | 3.15 x 104 ± 6.68 x 103 | 3.10 x 10-5 ± 8.02 x 10-6 | 0.984 ± 0.155 |
| 37°C | 7.18 x 104 ± 1.13 x 104 | 1.75 x 10-4 ± 2.13 x 10-5 | 2.45 ± 0.24 |
Improve reproducibility by conditioning sensors
To generate high quality, repeatable SPR data, it’s important that the number of binding sites on the sensor surface be constant throughout the experiment. Exposing the sensor to regeneration prior to the first binding cycle, or conditioning, helps achieve this by removing any non-covalently bound ligand or capture molecules before collecting binding data. Users can now toggle on the “Condition Sensors” feature to add this activity to experiments.
Top: Image of the setting for adding conditioning to an experiment. Bottom: Drop sequence for the Condition Sensors activity added when conditioning is toggled on. During this activity all sensors will be exposed to the regeneration condition after the sensor surface is functionalized but before binding data is collected.
Adjust sampling rate
Nicosystem software version 2.5.2 lets users adjust the sampling rate for experiments between 1 and 10 Hz. Using higher sampling rates is preferable to obtain more resolution during fast signal transitions, specifically when looking at fast kinetics. In contrast, using lower sampling rates helps lower the signal noise, improving the ability to resolve smaller signal changes, where higher resolution is not needed.
Image of the sampling rate setting added on the design page of experiments.
Access system data from the admin page
The Admin page is now the go-to spot for Alto administrators to manage users and access system data, including:
- Data backups: Alto will now generate downloadable backups of each project when idle. These can be downloaded through the admin panel and saved externally.
- Fluidics recordings: Fluidics recordings now have a home in the admin panel. These are a troubleshooting tool unique to Alto, which allows our Customer Success team to see exactly what happened during experiments.
- System diagnostics results: Results from diagnostic tests can now be accessed and downloaded through the admin panel. These can be provided to the Nicoya Customer Success team for troubleshooting or saved for user records.
Image of the admin page highlighting where to access instrument data.
Improved thermal, optics, and fluidics performance
Nicoya’s mission to help scientists succeed by providing high-quality, reproducible binding data continues in this release. With further noise-reducing improvements to the optics, improved thermal stability, and enhancements to fluidic reliability, users’ SPR data will look better than ever!
Current Alto user? Upgrade your Nicosystem software to take advantage of these new features. Reach out to Nicoya’s Customer Support team at support@nicoyalife.com to learn more.