Immunoassays are among the most sensitive methods for
protein quantification in biological fluids, and are widely
used for animal and human trials in pharmacological
research on different disorders.
Diabetes, a disorder affecting insulin1
production in the body,
is increasingly common and research into its mechanisms
and treatment is a growing research area. There are two types
of diabetes: Type I, where the beta cells produce insufficient
amounts of insulin, and Type II, where the beta cells’ capacity
to release insulin is reduced. Insulin is, therefore, one of the
most extensively studied metabolic factors in diabetes.
Current techniques for insulin quantification, such as ELISA
and radioimmunoassays (RIA), have limitations in terms
of assay performance and throughput. In particular, when
using small animal models, where sample volumes are very
small, and in patient screening and population studies,
where large numbers of samples have to be analyzed. For
such studies, conventional techniques require extensive
‘hands-on’ time and consume large quantities of reagents.
Thanks to miniaturization and the broad, four-log dynamic
range, Gyrolab requires only nanoliters of critical sample
and reagents. Automation and the unique flow-through
design reduce `hands-on‘ time and speed up throughput,
by providing identical running conditions for each reaction,
generating up to 112 data points in less than 60 minutes.