A standard sandwich ELISA measures one analyte per well, typically requiring 50–100 µL of sample and a full day per target. GeniePlex measures up to 40+ analytes from a single 25–50 µL sample in roughly the same time it takes to run a single ELISA.

GeniePlex uses a bead-based detection format compatible with standard flow cytometers — meaning you can run the assay on equipment most immunology labs already own, without the dedicated reader required by some competing platforms. Sensitivity and dynamic range are comparable to leading multiplex systems for the cytokines and chemokines covered.

For labs already equipped with a flow cytometer, GeniePlex typically has lower per-sample cost and shorter procurement lead times than platforms requiring specialized instruments.

Research use only (RUO). GeniePlex panels are not validated, cleared, or approved for diagnostic procedures. They are intended for use in basic research, biomarker discovery, preclinical studies, and exploratory clinical research.

Twelve peer-reviewed and preprint studies explicitly cite GeniePlex in their methods — spanning oncology, neuroinflammation, NAFLD/NASH, SARS-CoV-2, knee osteoarthritis, and nanomedicine. Beyond these cited studies, GeniePlex panels have been customer-validated across a wide range of sample types, species, and instruments.

Three questions narrow it down quickly:

• What's your biological question? Inflammation profiling, T helper polarization, chemokine signaling, fibrosis, neurodegeneration, and CRS monitoring each have purpose-built panel families.
• What species and sample type? Panels are species-matched — human, mouse, or rat — and validated for specific matrices (serum, plasma, supernatant, CSF, brain tissue, lysate, spheroid).
• How much sample do you have? Larger panels read more analytes but may require slightly more sample. A 10-plex on 25 µL is realistic; a 40-plex may need 50 µL.

If you can't find an exact match in our catalog, custom panels can be assembled from any validated analyte combination within a species.

The largest published configuration is a 41-plex human cytokine/chemokine panel, used in a fecal microbiota transplantation study on ulcerative colitis. Most researchers find the sweet spot is in the 10–18 plex range — enough breadth for hypothesis-generating screens, focused enough to keep volume requirements low.

Often, no. The same core Th1/Th2/Th17 14-plex configuration (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, TNF-α, TNF-β) is applicable across:

• Autoimmune disease — SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, pemphigus foliaceus
• Oncology — AML, APL, CML, NSCLC, lymphoma, ovarian cancer, breast cancer
• Infectious disease — COVID-19, hepatitis B, viral encephalitis, adenovirus pneumonia
• Reproductive immunology — recurrent implantation failure, pre-eclampsia

Disease-specific panels exist where unique biology demands them: fibrosis (CCL18, CXCL13, MMP-1/9), cardiovascular (GDF-15, MMPs, TIMPs, sCD40L), neurodegeneration (BDNF, β-NGF), and orthopaedics (MMP-1, MMP-7, BDNF, NGF — see Puts et al. 2024, knee OA synovial fluid).

The "workhorse" analytes that appear across the broadest range of validated panels:

Beyond the standard cytokine set, validated specialty markers include GDF-15 (cardiovascular), BDNF, β-NGF, sCD25, Granzyme A/B, sTRAIL, MMP-1/2/3/7/8/9, TIMP-1/2, sCD137, sCD40L, sCD163, MIF, LCN2/NGAL, PROS1, CTGF/CCN2, and others.

Yes. A 24-analyte CRS monitoring configuration has been published for post-infusion monitoring after CAR-T cell therapy:

• Panel 1 — Th1/Th2/Th17 markers: IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, TNF-α, TNF-β
• Panel 2 — CRS-specific markers: sCD25, GM-CSF, IL-15, MCP-1, Granzyme B, Reg3A, ST2, TNFRSF1A, Elafin, MIP-1α

For NK cell therapy (e.g. Sheedy et al. 2024, TRAIL-engineered KHYG-1 against ovarian cancer), custom panels measuring sTRAIL, Granzymes A and B, and IFN-γ are typical.

Validated species:

• Human — broadest catalogue coverage; panel configurations spanning autoimmune, oncology, infectious, neurological, and metabolic research.
• Mouse — panels for disease models including NAFLD/NASH, Alzheimer's, cancer immunotherapy, and preclinical drug evaluation.
• Rat — panels for pharmacology, toxicology, CNS, and traditional medicine research.

Panels are species-matched and not cross-reactive. Validate before substituting one species panel for another.

GeniePlex has been used successfully across an unusually broad range of biological matrices:

Serum and plasma are by far the most extensively validated. Newer matrices (gold-highlighted) come from recent featured citations and have at least one published precedent.

Yes — both. CSF has been validated for cytokine profiling in pediatric viral encephalitis, acquired demyelinating syndrome, CNS angiostrongyliasis, and febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome — including paired serum/CSF studies of refractory status epilepticus.

Brain tissue homogenates (cortex and hippocampus dissected, snap-frozen, homogenized in HEPES/NaCl/Triton-X buffer with protease inhibitors) have been used to quantify neuroinflammatory cytokines in Alzheimer's disease mouse models.

Cell culture supernatant is the second most-validated matrix after serum. Published applications include MSC-conditioned media, PBMC stimulation assays, iPSC-derived macrophages, primary monocytes and dendritic cells, Hofbauer cells, Kupffer cells, tumor-NK cell co-cultures (Sheedy 2024), and tissue-conditioned media from tumor explants.

The platform has also been validated on 3D multicellular spheroid culture supernatant — specifically, mouse liver spheroids containing hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and Kupffer cells, used as a NAFLD/NASH drug-screening model.

Typical assay volume is 25–50 µL per well, depending on panel size and required dilution. For larger panels (20+ analytes), 50 µL is recommended. Smaller panels can often be run on 25 µL or less.

For precious or limited samples (CSF, vitreous, synovial fluid, pediatric samples), consult the product insert for the specific panel — minimum working volumes can sometimes be reduced with optimized protocols. Puts et al. (2024) specifically noted GeniePlex's small-volume advantage for intra-articular synovial fluid biomarker work.

Yes — including one of the 12 featured peer-reviewed citations, plus customer-validated applications across:

• Mild vs severe COVID-19 immune profiling (plasma, 20+ analyte panels)
• Post-COVID syndrome / long-COVID inflammation profiling
• MSC therapy applications for severe COVID-19 ARDS
• SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell therapy monitoring
• COVID-19 associated mucormycosis immune landscape
• Pediatric MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) profiling
• Vaccine response profiling (BBIBP-CorV inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine)

Yes. GDF-15 is a validated cardiovascular biomarker on the platform, with applications including:

• Coronary artery calcium scoring in middle-aged and elderly cohorts
• Extracellular vesicle cargo profiling in CAD diagnosis
• Inflammaging and cardiovascular disease links

Broader cardiovascular panels combining MMPs, TIMPs, sCD40L, sP-selectin, sRAGE, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and adhesion molecules have been used in atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability studies and air pollution exposure research.

Strong and growing coverage. Published CNS applications include:

• Alzheimer's disease — CK2 inhibition / glial neuroinflammation, brain tissue (cortex + hippocampus) homogenate measurements (Da Silva et al. 2025, preprint, Salk Institute)
• Multiple sclerosis (ocrelizumab response, experimental EAE with curcumin)
• Stroke (HIF-1α/2α remote ischemic preconditioning in rats)
• Spinal cord injury (adipose MSC transplantation, 17-plex panel)
• Autism spectrum disorder (Th1/Treg ratio, gut microbiota)
• Dementia progression (saliva-based 16-plex inflammation profiling)
• Rasmussen's encephalitis (brain tissue + CSF, 24-plex)
• Pediatric epilepsy syndromes including FIRES

BDNF, β-NGF, and PDGF measurements are validated for cell culture supernatant and serum/plasma matrices. New for 2025: validated for direct cortex and hippocampus tissue homogenates on BD FACSymphony A3.

Yes. Validated applications across MSC biology include human umbilical cord, placenta-derived, and adipose-derived MSCs in COVID-19 ARDS, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Sjögren's syndrome (via exosomes), diabetic glomerulopathy, type 2 diabetes (macrophage polarization), spinal cord injury, and skin flap viability studies. Both donor cell secretome profiling and recipient cytokine response monitoring are routine use cases.

GeniePlex has been used to characterise both effector functions and tumour microenvironment cytokines in immunotherapy work, including CAR-T (CD147 NSCLC), TRAIL-engineered NK cells, scaffold-mediated lentiviral immunotherapy, and breast cancer immunoediting.

Any standard flow cytometer capable of resolving bead populations on FSC/SSC and reading at least two fluorescence channels — one for bead classification (PE-Cy5, APC, or PE-Cy7 depending on instrument) and one for the PE reporter signal.

Most immunology labs already have suitable equipment. No dedicated multiplex reader is required, and no instrument purchase is needed for the overwhelming majority of researchers evaluating the platform.

GeniePlex panels have been run successfully on a wide range of cytometers from major manufacturers. User-validated instruments include:

BD Biosciences

Beckman Coulter

Miltenyi Biotec

Other

Set-up parameters (scatter, bead classification channel, reporter channel, color compensation requirements) vary by instrument model. Our technical team provides instrument-specific configuration sheets — request one for your cytometer model before placing your first order.

If your cytometer isn't listed here, it likely still works. Get in touch with the model number and we'll confirm compatibility.

Almost certainly not. If your lab or core facility has a standard flow cytometer purchased in the last 15 years, it's very likely already compatible.

If you have access to a shared cytometer through a core facility, GeniePlex works there too — published applications include data from major research institution cores (University of Galway, Salk Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Glasgow MRC-CVR, Karolinska Institutet) using FACSCanto II, LSRFortessa, FACSymphony A3, NovoCyte, and Navios systems.

Roughly 3.5–4.5 hours hands-on plus incubation time, comparable to a standard sandwich ELISA — but producing data for up to 40+ analytes instead of one. Most users complete a full 96-well plate (~80 samples × multiple analytes) in a single working day.

Working ranges vary by analyte but typically span 3–4 orders of magnitude (pg/mL to ng/mL). Lower limits of detection for most cytokines are in the low single-digit pg/mL range. Puts et al. (2024) published a full LLOQ/ULOQ supplementary table for their 15-analyte custom synovial-fluid panel — useful as a public reference for sensitivity expectations.

For most serum and plasma cytokine panels, a 1:2 to 1:4 dilution is standard. For panels measuring high-abundance markers (CRP, GDF-15, MMP-9) higher dilutions may be required to fall within range.

Cell culture supernatants are typically run neat or at 1:2. Brain tissue and 3D spheroid supernatants are typically run neat after centrifugation (10,000 × g for 10 min at 4 °C).

Most validated analytes tolerate 2–3 freeze-thaw cycles without significant signal loss. For longitudinal studies, we recommend aliquoting samples to minimize cycles. Chemokines and some labile cytokines (notably IFN-α, IL-7) are more freeze-thaw sensitive — handle these on first thaw where possible.

Yes. Custom panels can be assembled from any combination of validated analytes within a single species. Most custom requests are accommodated within standard lead times once analyte compatibility is confirmed (typically 1–2 business days for confirmation).

Common custom panel scenarios:

• Adding 1–3 specialty markers to an existing catalog panel
• Slimming a large panel down to a focused subset for a clinical assay
• Combining markers across categories — e.g., cytokines + chemokines + adhesion molecules in one assay
• Custom effector panels for NK / CAR-T (sTRAIL, Granzymes A/B, IFN-γ — see Sheedy 2024)

Catalog panels typically ship within standard fulfillment timelines. Custom configurations require a brief design/confirmation period before production. Contact your sales representative for current lead time estimates and any expedited options.

Yes. Volume pricing is available for labs and core facilities running multiple plates per month. Contact sales for a quote based on your projected throughput.

Each panel includes a detailed product insert with protocol, dilution recommendations, and reference standard curves. For panel-selection guidance, custom panel design, troubleshooting, or data analysis questions, our scientific support team is available by email and direct consultation.