Roche introduces thermal shift assay functions for LightCycler 1536

Roche has upgraded its LightCycler 1536 instrument to allow users to perform thermal shift assays in 1,536-well applications quickly and consistently.

The company has introduced a new protein melting application for its high-throughput, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) instrument, making it the first device of its kind to offer such functionality.

Its proprietary Therma-Base technology, common to LightCycler instruments, allows for uniform temperature distribution across the block without intermediate hold times. This makes it ideal for protein melting, which requires a reliable heat source.

LightCycler instruments can heat as quickly as 4.8 degrees Celsius per second, which improves speed and accuracy in protein melt results.

Dr Rama Badugu, application support consultant at Roche Life Science, said: "Now researchers who currently run protein thermal shift assays on Roche's LightCycler 480 instrument, using 96- or 384-well throughput, can also run these reactions on the LightCycler 1536 instrument."

Last month, the company announced a new global distribution agreement for its biochemical reagents product portfolio with Sigma-Aldrich, including kits and enzymes for cellular analysis, proteomics and conventional PCR applications.