PENZBERG, Germany–Following the launches of the xCELLigence RTCA SP Instrument and the RTCA MP Instrument last year, Roche Applied Science has now completed its xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analyzer product line with its newest model, the RTCA DP Instrument. The xCELLigence system measures impedance-based signals both in label-free cellular analysis and in cell invasion/migration assays. The new RTCA DP Instrument (DP is short for dual plate) is applicable for flexible low-throughput research assays and uses up to three 16-well plates for simultaneous experiments. In contrast, the RTCA SP and MP systems cover the demand for medium to high throughput, respectively.

The new RTCA DP Instrument provides real-time cellular analysis with a high level of flexibility for cell science researchers carrying out parallel short-term (hours) and long-term (days) assays using label-free, non-invasive impedance measuring. The three 16-well plates of the RTCA DP Instrument can be operated flexibly by three different users; each 16-well E-Plate can be monitored and analyzed independently. Thanks to its small size, the RTCA DP Instrument with 16-well E-Plates can be placed in standard CO2 incubators, making it easy to achieve optimum cell culture conditions.

The wide variety of applications include:

Compound-mediated and cell-mediated cytotoxicity

Cell adhesion and cell spreading

Cell proliferation and cell differentiation

Receptor-mediated signaling

Virus-mediated cytopathogenicity

Constant quality control of cells

Cell invasion and migration assays

xCELLigence RTCA Instruments monitor cellular responses continuously without exogenous labels by measuring electrical impedance. Microelectrodes integrated in the bottom of specially engineered tissue culture E-Plates measure changes and provide precise quantitative information about the status of cells, including cell number, cell adhesion, cell viability, and cell morphology. Continuous impedance monitoring of cell responsivity allows researchers to pinpoint important experimental time points for more detailed downstream assays. Impedance measurements represent a revolution in cellular surveillance compared to single conventional endpoint assays. For more information on the RTCA Instruments, please visit our xCELLigence Special Interest Site at www.xcelligence.roche.com

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world’s biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2008 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 36.0 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.7 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested nearly 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2008. Worldwide, the Group employs about 80,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

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