Article from 2023-08-16

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Assays are a routine part of life at the bench. They are widely used to monitor target analytes, assess cellular function and health, and measure enzyme activity or inhibition. Since time and money are limited resources, commercially available assay kits are a common choice for researchers as a convenient and cost-effective option. But not all assay kits are made equal, and not all assay manufacturers hold their kits to the same high standards as Cayman. 

Why Scientists Choose Cayman Assays

 

1. Reputation

We have built trust and confidence with our customers through our reputation. Cayman has over 30 years of assay development and production experience, and we take pride in making high-quality assays that produce consistent and reliable results. The dependability of our assays is backed by a strong publication track record, and our assays have earned industry-wide recognition and awards. Cayman assays are available to researchers worldwide through our well-established global distribution network, and Cayman is proud to have been selected as the 2022 Bioz Stars All Star™ in the ELISA category.

 

2. Performance Reliability

We recognize the need for reliable assay performance and use industry-leading best practices to develop and validate our assays. We pay stringent attention to quality control and manufacturing so you can be confident that our assays will perform as expected from day-to-day and lot-to-lot.

 

3. Simplified Workflows

Our assays are designed with the researcher in mind. We understand that researchers have many demands placed on them and that the days aren’t long enough. We've taken steps to make our technical information clear to understand and our assays easy to perform and with minimal hands-on time at the bench, allowing you to accomplish more in your day.

 

4. Fast Delivery

We've all been there – you need to run an assay, and you need to do it now. Many of our assays are available to ship the next day.

 

5. Exceptional People

Developing a highly optimized assay requires significant scientific knowledge and technical skills. Our assays are built by scientists with expertise across target analytes and detection platforms. It doesn’t stop there. Our representatives and scientists go above and beyond for our customers and respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner.

 

Assay Life Cycle

The journey of a Cayman assay begins at our facility here in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a city that continues to grow as an emerging biotechnology hub in the Midwest. The steps we take throughout a Cayman assay's life cycle ensure the performance reliability of our assays and support our customers in their research.

  

Feasibility

Cayman specializes in detecting challenging targets with precision and accuracy. Our passion is in providing researchers with an assay for which commercially available options do not exist or for those analytes that are difficult to detect with alternative methods such as LC-MS. With any new concept, our assay research and discovery team assess the technical feasibility of the approach and determines the best assay format to detect the target analyte.

Development & Optimization 

During assay development and optimization, a series of steps is taken to find a suitable method for detecting the target analyte. The assays are carefully developed with high-quality reagents, including target-specific antibodies, to ensure the assay is robust, reliable, and reproducible, which are then systematically varied to optimize the assay for precision and sensitivity. During optimization, we also fine-tune the assay protocol. Where possible, our protocols have been developed to reduce required sample volume, shorten assay duration, and use fewer steps for more efficient workflows.

Production

Our assay production process ensures robust scale-up of the assay to commercial quantities while maintaining consistency between production lots. The processes we have in place maintain a consistent supply of high-quality reagents that fall within stringent manufacturing specifications.

Quality Control 

Lot-to-lot reproducibility and the storage stability of reagents is critical to ensure that assay kits meet consistent assay performance parameters. Each assay kit undergoes extensive quality control so you can have confidence that our assays will perform as expected.

Validation

Validation testing ensures our assays are technically sound for their intended purpose. We perform several validation testing experiments for each assay, and the complete validation data package is made available in each kit booklet.

Catalog Introduction

After a rigorous technical review, all the information you need, spanning from reagent and sample preparation to assay protocol, data analysis, and troubleshooting is compiled in the kit booklet. We make certain that the assay details are clear to understand, even for novice users. Assays are priced competitively and made available to researchers worldwide through our online catalog.

Technical Support 

At Cayman, we strive to support our customers in their research. Our Technical Support scientists are available for each step of your research, from help with selecting an assay to assisting with data analysis or troubleshooting after the assay is performed. Reach out to our Technical Support team at any time.

Our Collection of Assays Continues to Grow

Cayman offers hundreds of immunoassay, cell-based assay, inhibitor screening assay, and enzyme activity assay kits to help scientists worldwide answer their research questions and power their discoveries. Our collection of assay kits continues to grow as we explore new research needs and technologies.
 

Custom Assay Development Services 

Along with our extensive catalog of commercial assays, Cayman offers custom assay development services. We can support projects from custom assay design, development, and optimization through validation and manufacturing.