Merck Millipore launches new assay for PARP1 enzyme

Merck Millipore has announced the launch of its new PARP1 Enzyme Assay, for use in the detection of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) activity and screening of activators and inhibitors.

The new kit is designed as a versatile, homogenous, no-wash assay for quantifying enzymatic activity, using patent-pending technology to deliver greater sensitivity than traditional assay offerings.

PARPs are known to catalyse the addition of ADP-ribose moieties onto substrate proteins and play a key role in the processes of DNA repair, chromatin structure, cell cycle and cell death.

Haizhen Liu, lead research and development scientist for assay development at Merck Millipore, said many of the currently available testing options are negatively impacted by a lack of flexibility and the need for multiple wash steps.

"All of these shortcomings are address by the new PARP assay," he added.

Last month, the company offered a donation of thousands of state-of-the-art water testing kits to Thailand following recent flooding in the region, as part of a larger contribution by parent company Merck KGaA.