The SAFIA-Advantage.
SAFIA & analytical methods
The SAFIA (suspension array fluorescence immunoassay) technology combines the advantages of different methods: The simple mix-and-measure immunoassay allows a fast analysis of many samples for a wide range of contaminants. With the SAFIA technology, more than 1000 individual measurements can be performed in less than 3 hours.
Chromatographic methods are very expensive due to high costs for purchase, maintenance and consumables. In addition, analyses take up a lot of time and can only be carried out by highly qualified employees. Immunoassays, such as ELISA, only allow the detection of one contaminant at a time. Accordingly, they do not offer comprehensive analysis. The parallelisation of different ELISAs for multiple contaminants is often difficult.
SAFIA in numbers
Up to 12 parallel detectable contaminants
Due to the coding of our microparticles it is possible to measure several analytes simultaneously. The coding is done by gradation of a dye in the core of the particles. This encoding is detected by a flow cytometer, using only one detection channel for the 12 different particles. By combining several detection channels, the number of codes and thereby the number of analytes can be increased.
Manual assay handling time lower than max. 35 min
Read-out time < 45 seconds per well of a 96-well microtiter plate
Practical execution of SAFIA
Extraction
Aqueous environmental samples can be measured directly without extraction. For food and feed samples however, the components of interest (analytes) must be extracted. For this purpose, samples must be homogenised and then mixed with the provided extraction buffer. The extracts are then divided into wells of the supplied microtiter plate. In comparison to chromatographic methods it is not necessary to do a preconcentration or a sample clean-up using pre-columns for removal of undesired sample components (“matrix”).
Mix
The SAFIA particles, analyte-specific antibodies and fluorescent labelled secondary antibodies are simply mixed with the sample extracts. After incubation of antibodies, sample and particles, the reaction is stopped using a patented fixing solution. This ensures the signals of the measurements being stable during the reading of the microtiter plate. In contrast to classical immunoassays like ELISA, it is not necessary to wash between single steps.
Measure
The samples in the 96 wells of the microtitre plate are read one after the other, automatically by a flow cytometer. Both, the coding of the particles and the fluoresence of bound antibodies are detected within one measurement. The evaluation of the generated data is fully automated by a tailor-made software.
Do you have questions?
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