Released on: April 17, 2008, 1:55 pm

Press Release Author: GTCbio

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Press Release Summary: MONROVIA, CA - Dr. Y. Gloria Meng, Senior Scientist of
Technology at Genentech will give a presentation at GTCbio's 3rd Assay Development &
Screening Technologies Conference, June 5-6, 2008 in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Meng
will speak on electrochemiluminescence to detect surface proteins on live cells.

Press Release Body: The detection of cell surface proteins is often essential to
evaluate its biological functions and to develop therapeutic drugs. Conventionally,
Flow cytometry and cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been
used for this purpose. Recently, Dr. Meng and her colleagues used a quantitative
high throughput electrochemiluminescent (ECL) assay method using carbon surface
electrodes built into the bottom of microwell plates to detect cell surface proteins
on live cells. For suspension cells, Dr. they found that this assay method has a
higher throughput than cell-based ELISA, since the carbon surface plates bind cells
tightly enough to allow plates to be washed on a plate washer, avoiding the
centrifugation steps used in the cell-based ELISA. For adherent cells, human
umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) can be grown, activated, and assayed in
the same carbon surface plate. Using this method, Genentech has developed an assay
to evaluate inhibition of I-CAM expression on lymphotoxin stimulated HUVECs by
different anti-lymphotoxin antibodies. This assay has a much lower background than a
corresponding cell-based ELISA and is much easier to perform than a corresponding
flow cytometry assay, which requires time-consuming cell detachment steps. This
electrochemiluminescent assay method provides a useful tool to detect cell surface
proteins on live cells.

GTCbio\'s 3rd Assay Development and Screening Technologies conference will provide
attendees with critical information to utilize in the discovery and development of
assays, while keeping them informed about the latest screening technologies for both
high-throughput screening and high-content screening. Topics being covered include
cell based assays, high throughput screening, high content screening, in vitro
assays and screening, novel assay and screening technologies, and target validation.
For more information visit www.gtcbio.com.

ABOUT GTCbio
GTCbio organizes conferences specifically for the biomedical and biopharmaceutical
industries. Our goal is to facilitate the exchange of biopharmaceutical and
biomedical intelligence between industry leaders, academic and government
organizations, and the financial community.
GTCbio is a subsidiary of Global Technology Community, LLC, a privately held company
founded in 2002.
Contact: GTCBIO (626) 256-6405, (626) 256-6460 fax, nina.tran@gtcbio.com


Web Site: http://gtcbio.com/Index.aspx

Contact Details: GTCbio
434 W. Foothill Blvd.
Monrovia, CA 91016