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FAQ

Custom-Plex Assays

We do not manufacture our own kits, and run on commercially available kits. New analytes therefore become available all of the time. Email or phone us to see if your analyte is available [email protected]

Many analytes are able to be combined but some cannot be due to availability through different suppliers, dilution requirements, cross reactivity, etc. It is common for a custom plex project to require kits from more than one panel. 

The technology’s maximum is 100 analytes, however in proteomics this maximum is a challenge due to analyte interactions and different buffer preferences. The highest plexed kits available in the industry contain about 40-50 analytes. Our cytokine Discovery Assays are some of the highest plex kits available.

No you do not. If you are planning on using one assay plate multiple times you will be charged a nominal fee for the service. 

Kits are ordered in increments of 96-well plates. The first plate can accommodate 80 samples in single or 40 samples in duplicate as 16 wells are reserved for running the standard curve (note that more than one standard curve may be required if running more than one sample type). Any additional plates purchased for the same kit will have 96 wells available for samples. 

 

Discovery Assay

When Eve Technologies runs a routine cytokine array, the same kit lot number is purchased in bulk and upon the first assay session that uses that kit lot a standard curve is run in duplicate.  This standard curve is continued to be used through-out the use of that lot.  Every assay of that lot is run on the exact same machine and the machine is calibrated everyday with highly specified and stable calibrators.  To ensure consistency and quality, Eve Technologies runs a QC sample with every assay and these QCs are tracked with implementing Levy Jennings (as required by CLIA).  

We run samples in accordance with the kit manufacturer’s instructions for use. The only exception to this is the Mouse Cytokine/Chemokine panel and Rat Cytokine/Chemokine panel which calls for a 2-fold dilution for serum/plasms, however clients often wish to run their samples undiluted, so for those assays we run the samples as received.

If you would like to submit samples at a specific dilution you may do so, but we recommend contacting us to ensure that your sample dilution will be compatible with the assay you are interested in.

In addition to maintaining strict and repeatable conditions, we run quality control samples in every assay session to ensure that all assay signals of a particular lot fall within an acceptable range. Inter-assay variability ranges between 5-20% depending on the analyte and quality of samples.

The included standard is the standard that is supplied in the kit and run on the first assay session of the current kit lot. This standard curve is run in accordance with the manufacturers instructions for use, using an assay buffer matrix and/or serum matrix.

Prices are for one single well assay. Duplicate or triplicate testing will require purchasing 2 or 3 wells per sample.

Discovery Assays are preconfigured kits, so it is not possible to add or remove select analytes. Our Custom-Plex Assay Service allows specific configuration of targets. Your sample numbers and targets of interest will determine if a Discovery Assay or Custom Assay is more suitable for your study. Contact us for more information.

General

As of 2023, Eve Technologies has been cited in over 2,000 published articles. Search “Eve Technologies” in Google Scholar to view publications of scientists who have used our services.

Purchase Order (PO) is the preferred method of payment. We accept credit card but charge a 3% fee for the service. If your institute does not have either of these payment methods, prepayment or purchase contract is required.

For studies of smaller sample numbers, purchasing a Discovery Assay might be the most cost effective option as the tests are purchased by the sample well. Custom-Plex Assays are purchased in increments of 96-well plates and may be cost prohibitive. Our admin team will always provide you with the most cost effective options to meet your specific needs, so please reach out to us if you have any questions!

There are no limitations to the number of samples you can send. We can test anywhere from 1 sample to 10,000 samples or more. Discovery Assays are typically used for smaller studies, whilst Custom-Plex Assays are typically suited for large studies. Please reach out to us if you are planning a large study!

Discovery Assays are preconfigured cytokine panels that we keep in stock and can be purchased in increments of single reaction wells. Custom-Plex Assays are kits that are specially ordered for clients based on their selection of targets and are purchased in increments of 96-well plates.

We typically recommend duplicate testing; however the answer to this question will depend on the purpose of your assay. For publication purposes, duplicate and triplicate testing are the most common. Testing in duplicate or triplicate gives you more assurance that your concentrations are accurate. If, however, you are merely running small pilot studies, testing in single may be suitable and more cost effective.

Required sample volume will vary depending on the assay(s) ordered and if testing will be performed in singlicate, duplicate, or triplicate. Volume requirements are detailed on the individual product descriptions. Please contact us if you do not have sufficient volume, as we may be able to accommodate lower sample volumes for some assays.

We can perform ELISA testing at Eve Technologies, however it is not our preferred platform, and therefore we cannot guarantee the quality of the kits supplied by the manufacturer’s.

The multiplexing technology that Eve Technologies uses is based on color-coded polystyrene beads. Bead coloration is achieved by utilizing different concentrations of red and infrared fluorophore dyes to create 100 uniquely-colored bead sets. Considering that these bead sets contain a unique color/fluorophore signature (that can be individually identified by the bead analyzer such as a Bio-Plex200), they can then be combined within the same assay well. For example, a capture antibody for IL-6 is coupled to a population of dark red beads, and a capture antibody for GM-CSF is coupled to a population of pink beads. These two antibody-coupled beads can now be mixed together forming a 2-plex. Each analyte is distinguished from the other because they are bound to differently colored/fluorescent beads.

The bead analyzer includes a dual-laser system and a flow-cytometry system. One laser activates the fluorescent dye within the beads which identifies the specific analyte. The second laser excites the fluorescent conjugate (streptavidin-phycoerythrin) that has been bound to the beads during the assay. The amount of the conjugate detected by the analyzer is in direct proportion to the amount of the target analyte. The results are quantified according to a standard curve.

Shipping

Shipping samples to Eve Tech is made easy through following our shipping guides:

Shipping of Samples

Strictly following the appropriate Shipping guide is the best way to ensure your samples arrive in good order.

Technical

Eve Technologies is a BSL 2 Laboratory. Please indicate the infectious nature of your samples on your order prior to shipping so that we may assess the requirements for  your samples. Some samples may need inactivation by you, and we will advise accordingly. See our Infectious Samples page for more information.

Yes and No. The answer to this question is dependent upon many factors. The main questions to ask are: How long have the samples been at room temperature? How difficult is it to collect new samples? What analytes are you assaying? Is the data for a publication or a preliminary experiment? Please be advised that inflammatory analytes are known to degrade easier. Also, mouse and rat blood based samples tend to degrade faster than human samples at room temp because they have higher protease levels.

  • Heparin. Should not exceed 10 IU per mL of sample. It can cause bead agglutination and increased signals.
  • DMSO and other similar organic solvents. May cause the leaching of dye from the beads making sample analyte levels undetectable.
  • SDS and other similar denaturing agents. Should not exceed 0.1% in sample. These reagents can cause improper capturing of analytes.

Please see our Sample Preparation page for instructions.