NIH-funded principal investigators (PIs) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have a scientific need for a state-of-the-art multimode microplate reader to support and enhance their NIH funded research. This instrument will be located in and managed by the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC) High Throughput Screening Shared Service (HTS SS) and will be available for members of the Cancer Center as well as for PIs throughout UMB. The microplate reader will replace the ~10 year old equipment currently in the HTS SS, and provide automated collection of absorbance, fluorescence intensity (FI), fluorescence polarization (FP), time resolve fluorescence (TR), TR-Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET), luminescence, and AlphaScreen capabilities in 6 to 3456-well microplates. The existing microplate reader available in the HTS SS does not have auto-loading capabilities, is limited to 384- well format or less, lacks sensitivity in the FP mode, is not capable of lanthanide based TR-FRET assays or AlphaScreen assays, it does not have on-board fluid injectors for dual luciferase assays or rapid enzyme kinetic measurements, and lacks the overall speed and sensitivity needed by UMB investigators. This new multimode microplate reader will be central to the services provided by our HTS SS and will be critical to support basic science and drug discovery programs in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated UMGCC as well as for research of PI's throughout UMB who are funded by the NIH.
