Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for studying cellular biomarkers. Standard methods can detect only a few targets at once—usually three to five—due to limitations in imaging technology. To analyze more targets, scientists traditionally rely on iterative washing and staining cycles, which can take an hour or more for each round.
The thermal-plex method, developed at the Wyss Institute, removes these barriers. Instead of complex fluidic systems, it uses DNA probes engineered to fluoresce at specific temperatures. These probes remain inactive at room temperature. But when exposed to controlled heat spikes, their fluorescence is activated in sequence. A built-in microscope heating system enables precise temperature control, allowing researchers to measure up to 15 biomarkers in minutes—without the need for slow buffer exchanges.
With thermal-plex, scientists can achieve high-multiplex imaging quickly and efficiently, opening new possibilities for biomarker analysis in research and diagnostics.
