The literal definition of multiplexing is “receiving multiple signals from the same source.” When it comes to xMAP® technology, multiplexing refers to the ability to conduct multiple tests (or “bio-assays”), measuring multiple things (“analytes”) individually, at the same time and within the same sample.
Why is multiplexing better than traditional approaches?
First and foremost, a multiplexing approach allows for significant savings in reagents, consumables and time. Because xMAP technology allows the clinician or researcher to run fewer tests to achieve the desired outcome, set-up is quicker and results are reached faster. Labor is reduced and repetitive steps can be eliminated. In addition, multiplexing assays allow more information to be acquired from a much smaller patient sample, saving costs as well as preserving the integrity of precious or fragile samples — such as bone marrow aspirates from newborns, for example, or brain biopsy material. Second, multiplexing allows for more meaningful, trustworthy and accurate data, with much greater quality control than performing individual tests separately can provide. Separate tests, by their very nature, are at risk of having different variables introduced that could compromise the results. In addition, such tests cannot effectively demonstrate what happens in a living system where each molecule influences the expression, level, and stability of each another. Multiplexing enables multiple proteins, nucleic acids, etc. to be analyzed and measured essentially in their natural state, under controlled conditions wherein every individual test is treated exactly the same way. Therefore, the results are not subject to the influence of different methods, timing, conditions, etc. A multiplexing approach also allows for additional quality control because the clinician can include internal standards and known controls in the same well as the unknown test. Using traditional methods, a control test must be performed separately, under the assumption that conditions were identical to the sample well. With xMAP technology, the control test is performed under the exact same conditions as the unknown, because they are performed together. Finally, multiplexing is more reflective of the trends in research today. Traditionally, researchers performed assays based upon a hypothesis. With today’s information technology, the “shotgun” approach is proving more effective, as researchers are testing all known markers in a diseased sample versus a healthy sample, working backward from the results to determine cause of disease or targets for drugs. As the demand for more and more data will only continue to grow, all of which must be read, interpreted and categorized, multiplexing is an ideal fit.
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