Modulus II Microplate Multimode Reader

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: If your question is not answered in this document, we encourage you to contact us toll free at 888-636-2401 or 408-636-2400. You may also use our online contact form. Your question will be answered by one of our trained sales, technical, or applications specialists.

What is the price of the Modulus II Microplate Multimode Reader?

The price may vary based on your application and accessory requirements. To receive a quote customized to your needs, use our online quotation form (click here).

How do I get good mixing on the Modulus II Microplate Reader?

For injector based assays, shaking is not required. The injectors have been designed to provide excellent mixing when reagent is injected into the well. For non-injector based applications, the Modulus II Microplate comes standard with a three speed, two mode shaking function on all base instruments.

The Modulus II Microplate Reader detects luminescence, fluorescence, and absorbance. Can it also read fluorescence polarization (FP), time-resolved fluorescence (TRF), Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) or Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)?

The Modulus II Microplate does not currently have FP, TRF, FRET or BRET capabilities. The addition of these techniques would add significant cost to the Modulus II Microplate. However, a FP/TRF/FRET module may be developed for the Modulus II Microplate in the future.

The Modulus II Microplate reads from the top. My cell-based assays need bottom reading for sensitivity. Will the Modulus II Microplate Reader still work for me?

For cell-based assay requiring whole cells in suspension or attached to the bottom of the plate, bottom reading fluorescence may or may not perform better than the Modulus II Microplate. We would encourage you to try the Modulus II Microplate to see if it will work for your assay(s). Click here to try the Modulus II Microplate for free.

While we have not yet tested the Modulus II Microplate Reader for cell-based assays at Turner BioSystems, we will be glad to work with customers who are performing attached cell-based assays to explore possibilities and to jointly develop application notes. Please contact us if you are interested.

Why are the fluorescence filters on the Modulus II Microplate Multimode Reader individual fluorescence optical kits, not tunable monochromator or filter wheels or filter slides?

The individual fluorescence optical kits are optimized for the intended applications. Each optical kit has wavelength matched LED, excitation and emission filter set to provide the best performance. LED based excitation provides higher sensitivity than broad spectrum excitation due to more efficient fluorophore excitation and a reduced need to filter extraneous light. In addition, LED lights last 10 times longer than a halogen lamp (100,000 hours vs. 1000 hours). With individual fluorescence optical kits, more optical kits can be easily added as new applications are developed. We can also make customized optical kits for your application. Please contact us for your custom optical kit needs.

What plate formats can I use with the injectors?

The Modulus II Microplate Reader injectors work with 6 to 96-well plates.

The injectors are on the outside of the instrument instead of inside like in your Veritas. Will ambient light affect the reagents?

We've taken every precaution to minimize reagent exposure to ambient light, such as using black tubing and covering the syringe pump. We also recommend the use of brown bottles for reagents. If brown bottles are not available, use foil to cover the container.

The Modulus II Microplate Reader's injector volume is in 5 µl increments. Do you have an injector with volumes down to 1 µl?

Our injector systems were designed and engineered with precision and accuracy in mind. The injector pumps used throughout the industry are at their most accurate and precise when set to inject 5 µl rather than 1 µl. Injection volume variations can affect assay results. In addition, we found that the majority of the assay protocols for injectors use volumes in increments of 5 µl (i.e. 10 µl or 50 µl or 100 µl). It is rare for assay protocols that require increments of 1 µl. If you have such a requirement, contact us with your specific needs.

Which detection modes can I use with the Injector system?

Currently, the inject and read function which injects reagent into a single well and then takes a reading before moving on to the next well, can only be used with Luminescence detection. However, we are investigating adding the inject/read function to Fluorescence detection as well. Please contact us with your application so we can better understand your needs.

The Dispense function works with any detection mode. Dispense can be specified as a separate step before a detection mode and dispenses reagent into any or all of the wells that you specify.

What options can be added to the Modulus II Microplate Reader after purchase?

You can purchase the technology or mode you need now and add onto the Modulus II Microplate system as your needs expand. The fluorescence module, absorbance module and injector system can be installed by you in your lab in less than 10 minutes using the Allen wrench that is provided with the module. The luminescence module can be added to the instrument after purchase but requires that the instrument be sent to our service center for installation due to the sensitive optics of the luminometer head. The temperature control function cannot be added after purchase.

What is the recommended 96 or 384 well plate type for the different detection modes?

For Luminescence, white plates are recommended. Black plates can be used for bright assays but will generally yield decreased sensitivity. For Fluorescence, black plates are recommended. Clear plates can used if high signal intensity is expected. For Absorbance, clear bottom opaque walled plates are recommended; clear plates can also be used. If you are using the UV/Visible Absorbance module, measurements in the UV range require UV compatible plates.

How does the well scanning mode work for low density plates?

For 6-48 well plates, you can choose to either read the plate in the center of the well or take multiple measurements per well. For 6-well plates the instrument will take a total of nine readings.  For 12, 24 and 48-well plates the instrument will take five readings. The results screen shows an average of all the readings or displays all of the readings in a pop-up window.

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