How does a fluorescence microplate reader work?

Working principle of a microplate reader. A microplate reader detects light signals produced by samples which have been pipetted into a microplate. The optical properties of these samples are the result of a biological, chemical, biochemical or physical reaction.

How does a plate reader measure fluorescence?

The emission system of the plate reader uses polarizing filters to analyze the polarity of the emitted light. A low level of polarization indicates that small fluorescent molecules move freely in the sample. A high level of polarization indicates that fluorescent is attached to a larger molecular complex.

What is a microplate absorbance reader?

An absorbance microplate reader, (longform: absorbance microplate reader; shortform: absorbance reader), is a piece of equipment capable of detecting and quantifying the light photons absorbed/transmitted by a liquid sample present in a microplate, when exposed to light at a specific wavelength.

How much does a microplate reader cost?

BioTek’s simplest ELISA reader, for instance, costs about $5,000, says Xavier Amouretti, product marketing manager at BioTek Instruments, a company that sells a range of microplate reader systems; the company’s least-expensive multimode reader, the Synergy™ HT, costs about $20,000.

Is a spectrometer and spectrophotometer the same?

A spectrophotometer is a spectrometer that only measures the intensity of electromagnetic radiation (light) and is distinct from other spectrometers such as mass spectrometers. A spectrometer is typically used to measure wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (light) that has interacted with a sample.

What can spectrometer detect?

A spectrometer measures the wavelength and frequency of light, and allows us to identify and analyse the atoms in a sample we place within it.

How do you read the results of a spectrophotometer?

The higher the amount of absorbance means less light is being transmitted, which results in a higher output reading. For example, if 50% of the light is transmitted (T=0.5), then A = 0.3. Likewise, if only 10% of the light is transmitted (T=0.1), then A = 1. Absorbance has also been called optical density (or O.D.).