Throughout drug discovery and development, precise and reliable biomarker analysis is crucial for evaluating efficacy, monitoring safety, and making informed decisions. Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) is a high-throughput, flexible technology to support your research and development goals.
What is Meso Scale Discovery (MSD)?
Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) is an electrochemiluminescence-based immunoassay platform designed to detect and quantify proteins, biomarkers, and other analytes with high sensitivity and wide dynamic range.
MSD assays allow for multiplexing by utilizing capture antibodies bound to patterned arrays on a multi-spot plate. Signals are quantified using electrochemiluminescent labels that produce light signals in response to an electrical current.
Image Shows a 10-spot well plate highlighting Meso Scale Discovery’s multiplexing capabilities. Anywhere between 2-10 assays can be run on a single plate.
How Does MSD Work?
MSD works through a straightforward, multistage process:
- Capture: Target molecules in the sample bind to antibodies coated on the assay.
- Detection: Secondary antibodies labeled with electrochemiluminescent tags attached to the capture molecules.
- Stimulation: An electrical current is applied, triggering the tags to emit light.
- Quantification: The emitted light is measured and its intensity corresponds to the concentration of analytes present.
When to Use MSD
MSD technology offers a unique combination of sensitivity, efficiency, and flexibility, making it a valuable tool across drug discovery and development.
Key advantages of MSD include:
- High Sensitivity: Detects low-abundance proteins and biomarkers.
- Multiplexing Capabilities: Measure multiple biomarkers, conserving both time and valuable sample materials.
- Small Sample Volume Requirements: Generate comprehensive data from limited or precious samples.
- Flexible Assay Formats: Choose from single-plex, multiplex, or customized panels tailored to the needs of your study.
- High-Throughput and Cost-Effective Analysis: Streamline complex studies with efficient, reproducible testing that reduces overall cost, while delivering your data faster.
These features make MSD particularly valuable for pharmaceutical research and development, whether evaluating immune response, validating translational biomarkers, or supporting clinical trials with reliable, high-quality data.
How MSD Differs from ELISA
MSD is the gold standard for protein quantification and provides distinct advantages over Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
ELISA is best suited for straightforward, single-analyte measurements, with moderate sensitivity requirements. By contrast, MSD is the preferred platform when high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and multiplexing are needed, making it a powerful tool for translational and clinical research.
Why Choose MSD for Your Studies?
For pharmaceutical researchers, MSD is a powerful tool for generating high-quality protein biomarker data that can accelerate drug development. By combining sensitivity, reproducibility, and efficiency, MSD enables better-informed decisions across preclinical and clinical studies.
About Genemarkers
Genemarkers is a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited, and GCLP-compliant contract research laboratory specializing in genomic and molecular testing services for the pharmaceutical industry. We support all phases of drug development through advanced genomic and proteomic biomarker analysis. Our services include sample collection kitting, in vitro models, biomarker testing, and computational data analysis, with proven expertise in dermatology, inflammatory conditions, and neuroscience. Genemarkers delivers reliable, high-quality data that helps pharmaceutical partners reduce risk, accelerate timelines, and bring innovative therapies to market.