Redefining Laboratory Workflows with Modern Plate Readers

In this interview with NewsMedical Life Sciences, Dr. Yousef Nazirizadeh provides insights into the advanced features and diverse types of Byonoy's innovative plate readers, highlighting their importance in the industry.

What inspired Byonoy to challenge industry norms in laboratory instrumentation, particularly in the realm of plate readers?

Our inspiration stems from advancements in the consumer goods industry, which have substantially enhanced product quality and usability over the past 15 to 20 years. We recognized the importance of these features and identified a gap in the laboratory equipment industry. We are committed to elevating usability and quality standards to redefine laboratory workflows.

We aim to break traditional laboratory conventions, establishing an environment where researchers can concentrate on their applications without being hindered by the tools they utilize. We believe that the incorporation of these principles will drive a contemporary shift in the functioning of laboratories, enhancing efficiency and scientific innovation.

How does Byonoy's commitment to democratizing measurement technology positively impact researchers and laboratories?

In the context of laboratory equipment, democratization means increased decentralization. Laboratories traditionally depend on multimode readers, which are potent but expensive and restricted to centralized facilities. In these centralized laboratories, researchers must go to a specific location to obtain access to the required equipment, which can be restrictive and inconvenient. 

Our approach challenges the existing status quo. We provide compact, flexible, single-mode readers created for utilization in any laboratory, outdoor field workstation, or at the researcher’s workbench. Our objective is to decentralize the workflow by bringing the instruments closer to the users, eliminating the exclusive reliance of researchers on central laboratories.

Portability and affordability are crucial aspects of our strategy. We offer researchers access to high-quality laboratory equipment and guarantee that expense is not a barrier to scientific discovery.

Starting with the Absorbance 96 microplate reader, could you outline its key features and unique aspects of the device?

Certainly! Our instruments are designed to be flexible and easy to use. For example, the Absorbance 96 stands out as a versatile and compact microplate reader. Its applications extend across diverse laboratory environments, finding a place on benchtops, field stations, and even within anaerobic chambers. This versatility opens exciting possibilities for a range of studies, allowing researchers to seamlessly adapt and optimize their experiments with ease.

We leverage solid-state technology featuring 96 individual detection units to achieve the compact design of our instruments. This approach sets us apart from traditional microplate readers that rely on conventional scanning mechanisms. The emphasis on compactness extends beyond mere space-saving; it is our design philosophy that brings further advantages, such as robustness and low maintenance.

The Absorbance 96 Automate received the 2023 SLAS New Product Award. What functionality does it offer, and how does it seamlessly integrate into laboratory automation workflows? 

The Absorbance 96 Automate is an expansion of our original Absorbance 96. Numerous assays conducted on robotic platforms or liquid handling systems have a readout as the final step, typically performed with a microplate reader positioned next to these automated systems. Our strategy challenges this norm by downsizing the technology to a size barely larger than the microplate. This provides researchers with a microplate reader directly integrated into the liquid handling system, facilitating seamless automated laboratory workflows.

Our solution removes the need to manually transfer the microplate for reading or redesign the laboratory setup to accommodate the nearby microplate reader. We have incorporated grooves that facilitate plate handling and the microplate reader through built-in grippers of the liquid handling systems. This simplifies the integration process, saving valuable on-deck space and reducing the expense of additional third-party hardware needed for automated workflows.

Please could you share the vision that drove the development of your latest product, Luminescence 96?

The success of the Absorbance 96 validated our concept of affordable, user-friendly devices with a small footprint in the market. This achievement has not only affirmed our concept but has also significantly strengthened our confidence in product development. To build on this, we wanted to expand our range of high-quality plate readers further for other measurement methods like luminescence.

With Luminescence 96, we have taken a significant leap forward by innovating and enhancing numerous aspects related to technology and usability. In comparison to alternative luminometers that necessitate manual adjustments (such as integration time and gain), Luminescence 96 simplifies the entire workflow by internally managing these parameters and setting them automatically based on the specific assay.

How did your team overcome the challenges in developing Luminescence 96, effectively uniting compactness with top-tier performance?

Good question! In Luminescence 96, we are pioneering advancements in detection technology. Departing from the conventional use of large photomultiplier tubes, we have integrated highly sensitive and compact silicon photomultipliers. This is a substantial advancement for luminometers, as silicon photomultipliers have not yet been employed in microplate readers. However, to utilize these detectors, we had to reinvent the microplate luminometer, leading to several patented inventions.

What are some of the advantages? Is it just in terms of compactness, or are there performance benefits? 

Crosstalk, background phosphorescence, and dynamic range pose significant challenges for such devices. In each of these aspects, we have surpassed the industry standard.

The revolutionary feature of these silicon photomultiplier detectors is their ultra-compact size, which brings them close to the wells, effectively eliminating crosstalk. To extend the dynamic range of our silicon photomultipliers, we also employ three advanced readout techniques (photon counting, integration, and micro-integration) which allows us to expand the linear dynamic range up to eight decades. Additionally, we have integrated customized IR filters to eliminate background phosphorescence, ensuring precision and accuracy in our measurements.

How does Luminescence 96 make advanced luminometers more affordable and accessible to a wider range of laboratories?

We are committed to delivering cutting-edge instrumentation to a wider spectrum of the scientific community. To attain this goal, we employ first-principles thinking throughout instrument development. In doing so, we not only offer innovative solutions but actively contribute to a transformation that permits laboratories of all sizes access to revolutionary technology.

What lies ahead for Byonoy in terms of product development and expanding its product range? Are there any upcoming innovations or projects that you are particularly excited about?

I cannot disclose all the details of our upcoming products. However, I can share that we have numerous exciting ideas in the works. For instance, there is an increasing demand for a fluorescence reader, and this area holds great interest to us. We eagerly anticipate unveiling what is next on our journey of innovation and exploration and encourage everyone to stay tuned.