The heart of each xCELLigence System is a micro-electronic biosensor which is built into each well of the standard 96 well E Plate microtiter plates. A cell which has contact with the sensor changes the electrical impedance between the microelectrodes. Each change in the cell's status - for example, changes in cell adhesion, cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell - cell interactions, and morphological changes - leads to changes in the impedance measurements and can therefore be easily and quickly detected in real time. Labelling of the cells, which can induce non-physiological changes in the cells, is not necessary. The system is label free and requires no reporters.
The cell-based assay system perfectly integrates micro electronics and cell biology and has a number of advantages in comparison to conventional cell analysis systems. It is suitable for uninterrupted monitoring of processes in living cells and for monitoring real-time kinetics. The system supplies a densely concentrated stream of information and shows excellent sensitivity and reproducibility when monitoring the overall cell population of a cell culture.
The xCELLigence Real-time Cell Analyzer system was originally invented by US-based ACEA Biosciences, and is co-developed by Roche and ACEA. The xCELLigence system will be marketed exclusively by Roche on a worldwide basis. The design of the electronic sensor, innovative techniques to collect and assess data and optimised instrumentation make the system a unique platform for cell-based assays and provide a benchmark potential for cellular and molecular biology. Continuous measurement is performed label free and fast - the system needs less than 15 seconds to analyze a 96 well E Plate. For more information on the technology, please visit www.xCELLigence.roche.com
XCELLIGENCE is a trademark of Roche.
E-PLATE and ACEA BIOSCIENCES are registered trademarks of ACEA Biosciences, Inc. in the US.