The ten most exciting tools to hit the life sciences this year.

New measure of metabolism

Invented by Seahorse Bioscience in Massachusetts, the XF96 Analyzer is the first instrument that can measure the two major energy pathways in cells--mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis--providing a comprehensive picture of cellular metabolism and how that process goes awry in disease. "Before this instrument, we could never do the magnitude or complexity of experiments," says Steve Chomicz, vice president of sales & marketing at Seahorse Bioscience.

Prior to the XF96 Extracellular Analyzer, scientists relied on the Clark electrode technology for measuring cellular oxygen consumption, a time-consuming technique that provided minimal information. Now in just 35 to 90 minutes, the XF Analyzer can measure oxygen consumption--an indicator of mitochondrial respiration--as well as extracellular acidification, which is a byproduct of glycolysis. After isolating a small volume of cells in a microplate, the instrument can measure the change in dissolved oxygen and pH levels using optical biosensors. With the instrument's 96 wells, researchers can test the effects of up to four drugs on cellular metabolism, elucidating the bioenergetics of the cell. Currently selling for $100,000 to $200,000, the machine was first released to users in January 2009, and now boasts more than 400 clients worldwide.

WILEY: I want one!

PISTON: This is a great example of how the reduced volumes made possible with microfluidic principles can increase both signal-to-noise and temporal resolution.

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