The Biochemistry Assay Lab has been in existence since July 2003 and offers biochemical analyses to members of the MDU, IMS-MRL and other researchers both nationally and internationally. The majority of samples analysed by the laboratory are plasma and serum from rodents. However, over 10,000 cell culture samples were analysed last year, mainly for GLP-1 measurement but also for multiplex cytokine panels, VEGF, glucose and lactate.

The test repertoire is user-driven and the core continues to try to find and develop suitable assays for any test requested by researchers. The tests offered are a mix of ‘simple’ chemistries, such as glucose and cholesterol, and more time-consuming ‘immunoassays’. They focus on delivering high-quality, sensitive immunoassays using high sensitivity DELFIA or electrochemical luminescence labels rather than conventional ELISA.