Luminescence (LUM)

Luminescence detection is an easy and very popular detection method for specific applications, e.g. in chemical, biochemical or bioresearch labs. The light being measured from the samples is the result of a chemical or biochemical reaction (instead of being the result of excitation by light). Thus luminescence is split into bioluminescence or chemiluminescence and does not require a light source or an excitation filter. Just a light detector, a photomultiplier tube (PMT) is needed. Common applications include luciferase-based gene expression assays, as well as cell viability and cytotoxicity assays based on the luminescent detection of ATP. Examples of commercially available assays include Caspase-Glo™, CYP450-Glo™ and Dual-Luciferase Reporter (DLR^®).

BMG LABTECH has published numerous application notes (AN) on using luminescence detection mode with various BMG LABTECH microplate readers including:

• Promega's ADP-Glo™ Kinase Assay performed on BMG LABTECH's PHERAstar FS and POLARstar Omega (AN 202)
• Evaluation of PARP Inhibitors: Performed on BMG LABTECH's FLUOstar Omega (AN 171)
• Dual Luciferase Reporter (DLR) Assay Certification on the Omega Series of Readers (AN 165)
• Promega's Multiplexed Luciferase Reporter and Cell Viability Assays performed on the PHERAstar (AN 139)
• Cambrex Bio Science MycoAlert Assay on the LUMIstar plate reader (AN 130)

Click here for a complete list of luminescence application notes.

For more information on how to perform a simple luminescence measurement with the Omega Series of microplate readers or DLR ratio Evaluation, take a look at the following videos:

	In this tutorial from the video training series, you can see a demonstration of a simple software set up for a FLUOstar Omega microplate reader in order to perform end point luminescence measurements of samples and a blank in a 96-well plate format. Automatic gain adjustment ensures maximal dynamic range and luminescence measurements from top can be followed in real time.
	This video from BMG LABTECH shows Test Protocol Settings for an automated Dual Luciferase kinetic reaction measurement including various result calculations done with the comprehensive Data Analysis Software MARS.

 

The following BMG LABTECH microplate readers can be configured to perform luminescence measurements: