Cytokine Reference Laboratory

The Cytokine Reference Laboratory is a CLIA-88 licensed facility specializing in the analysis of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors from a variety of biological sources.

The director of the laboratory is Dr. Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Division of Pulmonary Medicine. Dr. Mortari is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology. 

The Cytokine Reference Laboratory has over 25 years of experience participating as a testing laboratory for a variety of clinical trials.

The Cytokine Reference Laboratory has over 25 years of experience participating as a testing laboratory for a variety of clinical trials, and is highly experienced with immunoassays using ELISA (both conventional and multiplex), microfluidic (Ella platform) and fluorescence bead-based antibody systems (Luminex platform) that allow multiple assays to be performed on a very small amount of material. These types of assays are especially important in testing involving pediatric populations, where sample sizes can often be very limiting.

Cytokine Reference Laboratory Equipment:

• BioRad 550 ELISA plate reader with integrated software (Microplate Manager) on a dedicated computer
• Epoch Microplate Spectrophotometer with Gen5 3.10 software
• Luminex 200 system with sheath fluid delivery system with BioPlex Manager 6.0 software on a dedicated computer
• MAGPIX powered by Luminex XMAP Technology with xPonent software on a dedicated computer
• Two Ella (Protein Simple) microfluidic, automated multiplex immunoassay machines on dedicated computers
• Refrigerator (4°C) and freezer (-80°C) both with temperature recording charts
• Centrifuges
• Single and multichannel pipettes
• Incubator (for ELISAs requiring higher than room temperature incubations)
• Two BioTek Elx50 automated plate washers
• Synergy/LX (BioTek) multi-mode reader for fluorescence and chemiluminescence immunoassays
• Nuaire Class II, Type A2 Biological Safety Cabinet