BILLERICA, Mass., Oct. 6 — Seahorse Bioscience todayannounced the release of the first ever analytical instrument for the kineticmeasurement of mitochondrial oxygen consumption and cytoplasmic glycolysis incells in a 96 well microplate. For the past 75 years tools for measuringcellular bioenergetics have been relatively unchanged since Warburg designedthe Warburg Apparatus in 1932 and Leland Clark invented the Clark oxygenelectrode in 1959.

“Without oxygen consumption measurements, the study of cellularbioenergetics would be in the dark ages,” said David Nicholls, a leadingbioenergetic researcher from Lund University, Sweden and the Buck Institute,Novato, CA. “Respiratory measurements allow us to quantify subtle changes inATP turnover, mitochondrial uncoupling or respiratory chain inhibition thatcan immediately identify an interaction of a compound with the cell’s energygeneration pathways. Prior to the Seahorse, such studies were restricted tolaborious single oxygen consumption measurements using the Clark electrode,invented in 1959, that required large amounts of material and was unsuitablefor attached cells. The Seahorse requires just 2% of the material previouslyneeded and has 100-fold the throughput! The ability to analyze cell (andtherefore mitochondrial) respiration in a 96 well format and at the same timemeasure glycolytic flux will result in an immediate surge of scientificdiscoveries and new drugs. In particular it can lead to an early warning if apotential drug interacts with the cell’s bioenergetic pathways.”

Martin Brand, a leading mitochondrial researcher from the Buck Institute,Novato, CA and the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK comments, “Ihave been performing individual measurements of oxygen consumption and lactateproduction using cell suspensions for the greater part of my career and Itrust Seahorse’s XF technology, which allows us to make multiple simultaneousmeasurements of oxygen consumption and acid production using cells growing onculture plates,” he said. “The XF format allows us to analyze thebioenergetics of cells under normal growth conditions with high throughput,greatly expanding our ability to investigate cellular bioenergetics.”

“Seahorse provides a physiologically relevant assay for detecting theeffect of RNAi knockdown of mitochondrial genes on cellular bioenergetics,”added Vamsi Mootha, from the Broad Institute, MIT and Harvard’s MassachusettsGeneral Hospital. “This technology may accelerate the discovery of drugs formitochondrial diseases.”

The XF96 extracellular flux analyzer was developed to provide higherthroughput analysis for customers desiring to study mitochondrial function anddysfunction, obesity, diabetes, cancer, ageing disorders, cardiac disease anddrug toxicity.

“The first published Seahorse data was reported in a 2006 Nature article.We have been impressed with the breadth and number of new discoveries by theearly users of our technology. In only two years, since the introduction ofthe first XF24 instrument, XF technology has become the new standard formeasuring oxygen consumption and glycolysis by cells, replacing the 50 yearold Clark Electrode,” notes Jay Teich, CEO, Seahorse Bioscience. “And we areconfident the XF96 will have a greater impact.”

The new XF96 measures the two primary metabolic pathways in cells inminutes, using a label-free, non-destructive method. The easy to useinstrument takes little lab space, does not disrupt stand cell cultureprocedures and provides measurement c.v.’s under 5%, approximately four timesbetter than has been achievable using older technologies.

About Seahorse Bioscience, Inc. Seahorse XF instruments have become thenew standard in cellular bioenergetic measurements. Over 200 plus scientistsworldwide are advancing their research in understanding the role of cellularbioenergetics in obesity, diabetes, ageing, cancer, cardiovascular functionand safety toxicity. Founded in 2001, Seahorse is headquartered inBillerica, MA.