We are pleased to announce the new MasterPlex Tutorial Series:

• MasterPlex EX Tutorial Series
• MasterPlex QT Tutorial Series
• MasterPlex ReaderFit Tutorial Series

Each series guides the user through the entire analysis workflow.

It has been a long awaited item on our todo list and we hope MasterPlex users will find this content useful. Please let us know if you have any requests for “how-to’s” that you would like to see.

The 4 Parameter Logistic or 4PL nonlinear regression model is commonly used for curve-fitting analysis in bioassays or immunoassays such as ELISAs or dose-response curves.

The following is the 4PL model equation where x is the concentration (in the case of ELISA analysis) or the independent value and F(x) would be the response value (e.g. absorbance, OD, response value) or dependent value.

F(x) = ((A-D)/(1+((x/C)^B))) + D

Not surprisingly, the 4PL model equation comprises of 4 parameters:

4 Parameter Logistic Nonlinear Regression Model

1. A = minimum asymptote
   
   In an ELISA assay where you have a standard curve, this can be thought of as the response value at 0 standard concentration.
2. B = Hill slope
   
   The Hill Slope or slope factor refers to the steepness of the curve. It could either be positive or negative. As the absolute value of the Hill slope increases, so does the steepness of the curve.
3. C = inflection point
   
   The inflection point is defined as the point on the curve where the curvature changes direction or signs. This can be better explained if you can imagine the concavity of a sigmoidal curve. The inflection point is where the curve changes from being concave upwards to concave downwards (see picture below).
   

   Inflection point and change in curvature or concavity

4. D = maximum asymptote
   
   In an ELISA assay where you have a standard curve, this can be thought of as the response value for infinite standard concentration.

The following are some key characteristics of the 4PL curve-fit model:

• Symmetry – There is perfect symmetry for the sigmoidal curve around the inflection point for 4PL curve fits.
  
  

  Symmetry around inflection point for 4PL

• Monotonic – A monotonic function is either always increasing or decreasing for all values of x.
  
  

  An example of a monotonic increasing function

  

  An example of a monotonic decreasing function

• Assumptions made by the 4PL model equation
  • It assumes that the standard deviation of the scatter is the same for all values of x (homoscedastic data). In the example of a standard curve, this is saying that the standard deviation for all the replicates of a low standard is equal to the standard deviation of the replicates for your high standard (see example curve below).
    
    

    Homoscedastic Data

    Of course, this is rarely the case when dealing with bioassays or immunoassays (ELISAs) where the data is heteroscedastic. We normally see something like this where the standard deviation increases as x increases:

    

    Heteroscedastic Data

    Applying weighting algorithms for 4PL and 5PL curve fitting is something that can be done to offset the assumption that data is homoscedastic.

  • The 4PL model equation also assumes that the scatters a normal (or Gaussian) distribution.

If you are looking for a curve-fitting software with the 4PL model equation and also does weighting, then try out the Free 14-Day Trial of MasterPlex ReaderFit (fully-functional).

You may also be interested in reading our blog post on:

• 5PL nonlinear regression model
• Tips for ELISA analysis
• The importance of weighting with the 4PL and 5PL
• Dose response analysis and EC₅₀/IC₅₀ determination

September 1st, 2010 will bring a close to Support for MasterPlex QT v2.5, MasterPlex QT v2.0, MasterPlex QT v1.2, and MasterPlex QT v1.0. Hitachi Software will retire public and technical support, including product updates, by this date.

Current users of the above mentioned versions will be able to continue to use these products and existing support documents and content will continue to be available on the MiraiBio Group website.

Hitachi Software is retiring support for these products because they are outdated and do not offer our customers the experience and reliability of our newer versions of these products. We recommend that customers who are still running MasterPlex QT v2.5, MasterPlex QT v2.0, MasterPlex QT v1.2, or MasterPlex QT v1.0 upgrade to MasterPlex QT 2010.

We have created promotional pricing in order to encourage our users of these older versions to upgrade to MasterPlex QT 2010. Please contact info@miraibio.com if you would like to learn more about upgrading.

-The MiraiBio Team

We have listened carefully to our customers’ requests and the result: MasterPlex QT 2010!

Here is a list of what’s new in QT 2010:

• Acquire Results with One Click
  Templates can now store curve fitting parameters along with all your plate layout information. With a push of a button, your entire plate layout is loaded (along with your standard information) and your results will be automatically calculated for you.
• Quality Control Manager with new Upper Limit of Detection (ULOD)
  The Quality Control Manager is now included in every copy of MasterPlex QT 2010. In addition, we have now added the ULOD to help further refine your results.

  

• Added Compatibility for the Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) Platform
  MasterPlex QT 2010 is now fully compatible with data files from MSD’s MULTI-ARRAY® instruments.
• More Flexible Data Table
  Results for replicate samples can now be merged together for a cleaner look with a push of the Merge Cells By Group button.

  

• EC50/IC50 Field Available in the Data Table
  The EC50/IC50 values are now available (from 4PL & 5PL curve fits) in the Data Table for report generation via the Columns Selector.

  

• EC(anything) or IC(anything) Calculation
  Need to calculate the EC90 value? The new EC(anything) feature can calculate and report any value you need.

  

• More Flexible Standard Curve Chart
  You can now customize standard curve chart titles and X&Y axes.

  

Try the Free 14-Day Trial of MasterPlex QT 2010!

Are you planning to upgrade from an earlier version of MasterPlex QT?

Here is a list of features from previous versions:

• MasterPlex QT v4.1
  • Quality Control Manager (optional in v4.1 but it is built into v5)
  • Step-by-step video tutorials to guide the full analysis workflow
  • Copy and paste Group Names
  • Get at-a-glance views of all points on the standard curve by simply hovering over with your mouse
• MasterPlex QT v4.0
  • New user-friendly interface
  • Added new options for BestFit to optimize for Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Least Deviation from %Recovery
  • Plot unknown wells on the standard curve chart
  • Copy and paste Sample Names
  • Compatible with 384-well data.
  • Compatible with xPONENT 3.1 and 4.0
  • Improved Bio-Plex data file compatibility
  • Added 21 CFR Part 11/GxP (GCP, GLP, GMP) compliance module (optional)
  • Added AssayCheX module for easy analysis of the AssayCheX Process Control Panel
• MasterPlex QT v3.0
  • Normalized data can be viewed in Charts and Reports
  • Analyte names can be edited from the plate panel
  • Double-click to enter edit-mode for data that is editable such as sample name or dilution factor
  • Added HTML viewer to view custom reports
  • Compatible with xPONENT 2.x
• MasterPlex QT v2.5
  • Full support for Gene Expression data analysis
  • Customizable reports
  • Concurrent network licensing
  • Average, Standard Deviation, and %CV for MFI group replicates can be viewed in the Plate tab
  • Added error bars to bar graphs for replicate groups
  • Automatic outlier detection based on standard deviation
  • Ability to increase plex of the Virtual Plate feature by adding any analyte as a new analyte to an existing Virtual Plate
  • Support for Luminex 100/200 based systems such as IS 2.3
• MasterPlex QT v2.0
  • Added weighting options for more accurate curve fits
  • Added more reporting options including export to Excel
  • Added intensity map
  • Optimized curve fitting algorithms
  • Errors bars added for replicate standards in the standard curve chart
  • Virtual Plate feature implemented
  • Residual and % Recovery statistics added to the Standard Curve tab

We recently had a customer that was interested in MasterPlex QT because his current analysis software for his Bio-Plex instrument was reporting a lot of “OOR < ” or out of range concentration values (below the lower asymptote in this case) for points on the lower end of curve. This is what you would normally expect to see for values that fall below the minimum asymptote BUT the software did not have the capability to use weighting in calculating the lower asymptote which can greatly affect points on the lower part of the curve.
Read the rest of this entry »

We have just added 7 new report templates for you to freely use with the Export Manager in MasterPlex QT v4.x.

As you will see, some of these are capable of outputting some pretty comprehensive statistics such as the lower limit of detection (llod) and conditional formatting where wells that exceed certain thresholds will be marked for you automatically. To view the sample screenshots of each report, click on the Details button.

Please refer to our community forum for detailed instructions on using the Export Manager.

If you would like to have a custom report template created for you, we can provide it as a service.  Please feel free to contact us at info@miraibio.com for details.

What’s New in this Upgrade?

• For MasterPlex QT
• For MasterPlex ReaderFit
• For MasterPlex EX

The “AssayCheX Process Control Panel for Luminex/Bio-Plex Immunoassays” webinar is now available for viewing on your own time.

The webinar covers the following topics:

1. AssayCheX^TM Process Control Panel: an introduction
2. The product configuration
3. Functionality of each microsphere in process control panel
4. How to use AssayCheX along with current assays
5. Value provided by AssayCheX process control panel
6. Data analysis with MasterPlex® QT AssayCheX plug-in

Download the PowerPoint Presentation that accompanies this webinar.