SRU Biosystems today announced the launch and first commercial sale of its recently introduced Cartridge Reader into a leading academic laboratory. The Cartridge Reader is the company’s entry-level instrument for assay development and low throughput applications to cellular and biochemical studies based on 8- and 16-well label-free biosensors. “SRU accelerated the launch of its Cartridge Reader based on strong market demand following the concept introduction at the SBS St. Louis conference in April 2008,” said Richard Wagner, Ph.D., President and CEO. “The Cartridge Reader is a unique product for label-free assay development, based on its versatility, size, and cost. The Cartridge Reader is a true bench top instrument, with about the same footprint as a benchtop microfuge, that can be used for small molecule assay development, protein monitoring, and cell assays. The Cartridge Reader will have high utility in academic, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical laboratories.” The Cartridge Reader is a new cost-effective tool that can be applied to cell assay development for GPCR, adhesion, and ion channel assays using over-expressed or endogenous systems. In addition, the design of the cartridges and optics of the system allow for the use of low numbers of cells, such as primary cells or stem cells. Furthermore, the Cartridge Reader can also be used by biochemists and chemists to perform binding analysis of compounds – small molecules or fragments – with target proteins together with SRU’s different surface chemistries. The cartridges are built on standard SRU BIND(R) biosensors and come in a variety of configurations for assay development. Using these standard sensors, the Cartridge Reader generates identical assay results as those produced by SRU’s microplate-based BIND Readers. By achieving the same level of sensitivity, flexibility, and software seen in its higher throughput systems, SRU offers the user a seamless method for utilizing label-free throughout the assay development and screening processes. SRU Biosystems has developed a comprehensive product line for label-free cell-based and biochemical applications, including advanced software tools, automation integration, and proprietary attachment coatings for cells and proteins. The BIND(R) system supports the use of 8-, 16-, 96-, 384-, and 1536-well microplates using the Company’s patented optical biosensor technology in a user-defined manual, semi-automated or fully automated environment for kinetic or endpoint assays. The Cartridge Reader is used for performing assays in 8- and 16-well formats, while the BIND(R) 96/384 Reader TURBO supports 96- or 384-well microplates, and the recently developed BIND(R) 384/1536 Reader TURBO analyzes 384- or 1536-well microplates. Please see the Company’s website for upcoming product demonstrations and tutorials. About SRU Biosystems SRU Biosystems, Inc., is a life science company developing novel technologies for rapidly analyzing the interactions of large genomic, protein, peptide, antibody or small molecule compound libraries against a wide range of cellular and biochemical targets. SRU is incorporating its technology into microtiter plates, microarray slides, cartridges and other industry standard formats to create sensitive and high throughput tools that can be used to answer important biological questions for biomedical research, pharmaceutical drug discovery and diagnostics. www.srubiosystems.com