Assay Development in High Density MicroWell® Plates: Use of Well Geometries, Format, Surface Modification and Optical Properties to Achieve Optimal Assay Performance.

Abstract

While high density MicroWell plates, including 384 well and 1536 well plates, offer advantages of low volume reaction or growth vessels in a standardized footprint allowing robotic manipulation, the greatest benefits lie in the increased well surface area to reaction volume ratios. This surface area to volume benefit can be utilized to optimize assay development by utilizing the molecular surface as a reactant. The well geometry and optical properties are also enhanced in high-density plates, allowing microscopic imaging and increased signal detection for fluorescence and luminescence.The molecular characteristics of high density MicroWell plates were examined in regard to base materials and induced surface modification. Various modification methods including injection-molding parameters, exposure to high and low energy sources and exposure to specific physical conditions were studied. The surfaces were molecularly characterized and then utilized as reactants in high throughput and low volume in vitro ass...