How to Seal 384-Well Read Plates for the SMCxPRO^® Platform

Proper plate sealing is critical to accurate data acquisition. See how to properly seal 384-well read plates for the SMCxPRO^® platform, including step-by-step plate sealing techniques using an adhesive aluminum plate seal and a plate sealer roller.

• Assay Setup
• Applying the Aluminum Adhesive Seal
• Using the Plate Sealer Roller

Assay Setup

A critical step in SMC^® assay workflows is the elution of the detection antibodies from the capture surface. The eluate is then neutralized and transferred from a 96-well assay plate to the optical 384-well read plate for the SMCxPRO^® instrument’s data acquisition.

Some important points for assay setup are:

• Since interrogation of the well contents occurs in a bottom-read manner, it is critical to keep the accompanying black lid under the plate during all assay setup steps to avoid scratches, fingerprints, dust, and debris.
  
• Keep the plate covered to preserve the integrity of the well contents.
  

Applying the Aluminum Adhesive Seal

Follow the steps below to apply the aluminum adhesive seal:

• Use only the recommended aluminum adhesive seal for plate sealing.
  • Aluminum Seal: Thermo Scientific PN 276014
    
  • Plate Roller: Thermo Scientific PN NC9185793
    
• Applying the aluminum seal completely and uniformly with the recommended plate roller is critical to prevent evaporation from wells and cross-well condensation.
  
• To prepare the seal for use, remove its backing and align it over the 384-well plate, avoiding all creases, folds, or kinks as these could lead to an incomplete seal.

Using the Plate Sealer Roller

Using a plate sealer roller helps ensure uniform sealing. To roll the seal:

• Run your fingers across the adhesive over all 384 wells.
  
• Complete the seal by rolling the plate roller across the entire plate, in both vertical and horizontal directions, while paying close attention to all corners, junctions, and the plate perimeter.
  
• A complete seal should have a concave appearance across all the wells and corners should be clearly visible (Figure 1).
• Remove the perforated ends of the foil seal.

Once the complete seal is formed and the end flaps are removed, the plate is ready to be transferred to read in the SMCxPRO^® instrument. If you have any questions, please contact Tech Support.

Learn more tips and tricks about how to handle Aurora reading plates in our SMCxPRO^® Best Practices article.

For Research Use Only. Not For Use In Diagnostic Procedures.