Description
ONCYTE® SuperNOVA porous nitrocellulose film slides represent the highest level of quantitative performance in the ONCYTE® family, engineered specifically for protein microarray applications that demand the widest possible dynamic range and the greatest sensitivity available in a nitrocellulose substrate. Built on a 12 µm microporous nitrocellulose film with an optimized surface chemistry and a contact angle of 60° — the most hydrophilic of the porous ONCYTE® variants — SuperNOVA delivers more than 7 orders of magnitude of fluorescence dynamic range, enabling accurate simultaneous quantification of both highly abundant and extremely low-abundance proteins in a single experiment without the need for separate dilution series or sample splitting. This exceptional quantitative performance makes ONCYTE® SuperNOVA the substrate of choice for reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA), biomarker discovery and validation studies, tissue and cell lysate profiling, and any quantitative proteomics workflow where the concentration range of target proteins is wide, unknown, or highly variable across sample cohorts. SuperNOVA's moderately hydrophilic surface promotes thorough wetting of complex lysate samples, reducing the spot-to-spot variability that can compromise quantitative accuracy in RPPA and expression profiling experiments.
Why ONCYTE® Film Slides?
ONCYTE® porous nitrocellulose film slides deliver three core performance advantages that set them apart from conventional microarray substrates:
High Protein Binding Capacity — The microporous three-dimensional architecture of ONCYTE® nitrocellulose film creates a vastly expanded available surface area compared to flat functionalized glass slides. This translates directly into more protein captured per spot, stronger signal output, and greater assay sensitivity — particularly important for low-abundance target detection in complex biological samples such as cell lysates and serum.
Fluorescence Signal Amplification via the Tyndall Effect — When excitation light strikes the porous nitrocellulose surface, tiny voids within the film scatter incident photons back onto fluorophores — effectively increasing the probability of excitation and amplifying fluorescence signal without additional reagents or amplification steps. The result is a higher signal-to-noise ratio and a lower detection limit than non-porous substrates can achieve.
Broad Dynamic Range and Low Detection Limit — ONCYTE® film slides deliver 5 to 7+ orders of magnitude of fluorescence dynamic range depending on formulation, enabling accurate quantification across a wide spectrum of protein concentrations in a single experiment. This broad dynamic range makes ONCYTE® slides exceptionally well-suited for quantitative applications such as RPPA, biomarker validation, and dose-response profiling.
ONCYTE® SuperNOVA — Ultra-Wide Dynamic Range for Quantitative Proteomics
ONCYTE® SuperNOVA porous nitrocellulose film slides represent the pinnacle of quantitative microarray performance, purpose-built for applications that demand the widest possible dynamic range and the highest sensitivity available in a nitrocellulose substrate. Combining a 12 µm porous nitrocellulose film with an optimized surface chemistry and a moderately hydrophilic contact angle of 60°, SuperNOVA delivers more than 7 orders of magnitude of fluorescence dynamic range — enabling accurate, simultaneous quantification of both highly abundant and extremely low-abundance proteins in a single experiment without dilution series or sample splitting. This exceptional dynamic range makes ONCYTE® SuperNOVA the substrate of choice for reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA), biomarker discovery and validation, tissue lysate profiling, and any quantitative proteomics application where the concentration range of target proteins is wide, unknown, or highly variable across sample groups.
How to Choose the Right ONCYTE® Film Slide
| Avid | Nova | SuperNova | ONYX | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film type | Porous | Porous | Porous | Non-porous |
| Film thickness | 12 µm | 7 µm | 12 µm | <200 nm |
| Dynamic range | 5–6 log | 5–6 log | 7+ log | 4–5 log |
| Contact angle | 80° (most hydrophobic) | 70° | 60° | 70° |
| Detection methods | Colorimetric Chemiluminescence Fluorescence | Fluorescence | Fluorescence | Fluorescence |
| Binding capacity | High | High | High | Standard |
| Best for | Detection flexibility · Antigen & antibody arrays · Colorimetric workflows | Standard fluorescence arrays · Consistent sensitivity · High-density printing | RPPA · Biomarker discovery · Wide concentration range samples | Low-background fluorescence · Precise surface control · High-res scanning |
| Ideal user | Labs needing multi-method flexibility | Most protein microarray labs | Quantitative proteomics researchers | High-sensitivity fluorescence specialists |
Applications
Primary Applications
- Reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA): the preferred ONCYTE® substrate for RPPA; 7+ log dynamic range enables accurate quantification across the full dilution series without range compression
- Biomarker discovery: profile protein expression across large clinical sample cohorts with the sensitivity to detect low-abundance biomarkers against a high-abundance background
- Biomarker validation: quantitatively validate candidate biomarkers identified in discovery screens with high confidence across wide concentration ranges
- Tissue lysate profiling: spot complex tissue-derived protein extracts for multiplexed expression profiling of signaling pathway components and disease markers
- Cell lysate microarrays: profile protein expression and post-translational modifications across cell line panels, drug treatment series, or time-course experiments
- Phosphoprotein detection: detect low-abundance phosphorylated protein species against high-abundance total protein background within the same dynamic range
- Dose-response profiling: accurately quantify protein expression changes across wide dose ranges in drug treatment or stimulation experiments
Detection Methods Supported
- Fluorescence detection: optimized for high-sensitivity fluorescence scanning platforms; all excitation wavelengths compatible
- Near-infrared fluorescence: compatible with NIR-labeled antibodies and NIR scanning systems for 7+ log dynamic range quantification
Technical Resources
Everything you need to get started with ONCYTE® film slides — from product selection to advanced protocols:
Product Documentation
- ONCYTE® Product Offering — AVID, NOVA, and SuperNOVA overview (PDF)
- ONCYTE® Flyer and Selection Guide (PDF)
- User Guide — ONCYTE® Protein Microarrays (PDF)
Protocols
- SYPRO Ruby Staining of ONCYTE® Porous Nitrocellulose Film Slides
- Fast Green Staining of ONCYTE® Porous Nitrocellulose Film Slides with Near-IR Detection
Frequently Asked Questions — ONCYTE® SuperNova
Why is SuperNOVA preferred over NOVA for RPPA?
RPPA requires accurate quantification of protein expression across a wide dilution series — typically spanning 5–8 orders of magnitude of concentration. ONCYTE® NOVA's 5–6 log dynamic range is sufficient for many protein microarray applications but can compress the signal at the extremes of an RPPA dilution series, introducing quantification error at very high and very low protein concentrations. ONCYTE® SuperNOVA's 7+ log dynamic range accommodates the full RPPA dilution range without signal compression, producing more accurate sigmoidal dose-response curves and more reliable expression quantification across all sample dilutions.
What dilution series is recommended for RPPA on SuperNOVA?
A five-point dilution series spanning 1:1 to 1:16 (undiluted, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 1:16) is standard for most RPPA experiments on ONCYTE® SuperNOVA. For samples with very wide expression ranges, extending the series to 1:32 or 1:64 may improve curve fitting at the extremes. Total protein concentration at the undiluted point is typically 0.5–2.0 mg/ml — titrate to optimize for your specific sample type and target protein abundance.
How does SuperNOVA's 60° contact angle affect spot morphology?
SuperNOVA's 60° contact angle is the most hydrophilic of the porous ONCYTE® variants, which promotes more uniform wetting of complex protein mixtures and lysates. This reduces the coffee-ring effect that can occur with more hydrophobic surfaces when printing viscous or detergent-containing samples. The trade-off is slightly more lateral spreading compared to AVID (80°) or NOVA (70°) — spot spacing should be optimized for your printing density to prevent spot merging at high densities. For most RPPA printing densities (≤4 spots/mm²), SuperNOVA's wetting behavior is an advantage rather than a limitation.
Is SuperNOVA compatible with tyramide signal amplification (TSA)?
Yes. ONCYTE® SuperNOVA is compatible with tyramide signal amplification protocols. However, given SuperNOVA's already exceptional 7+ log dynamic range, TSA is rarely required and may cause signal saturation at high-abundance targets. TSA is most useful on SuperNOVA when detecting extremely low-abundance targets (sub-femtogram range) where even SuperNOVA's sensitivity is insufficient with direct fluorescence detection.
Can I use SuperNOVA for cytokine and chemokine multiplex arrays?
Yes — ONCYTE® SuperNOVA is well-suited for cytokine and chemokine multiplexing due to the extreme concentration range of these analytes in biological samples. Cytokine concentrations in serum can span 4–6 orders of magnitude between analytes and between sample types, making SuperNOVA's 7+ log dynamic range a significant practical advantage over substrates with narrower ranges. This allows accurate quantification of both high-abundance cytokines (e.g. IL-6, TNF-α in inflamed samples) and low-abundance chemokines in the same array without diluting samples or running separate assays.
What software is recommended for SuperNOVA array analysis?
ONCYTE® SuperNOVA arrays are compatible with all major microarray analysis platforms including GenePix Pro, ScanArray Express, Mapix, and MicroVigene. For RPPA-specific analysis, RPPALoop and SuperCurve are widely used for sigmoidal curve fitting and protein expression quantification from SuperNOVA-printed dilution series. The 7+ log dynamic range of SuperNOVA produces well-formed sigmoidal curves that are amenable to robust non-linear curve fitting without truncation at either end of the dynamic range.
What protein concentrations should I print on ONCYTE® Film Slides?
For purified proteins, a concentration of 0.05–1 mg/ml is optimal for most applications. The upper end of this range is recommended for antibodies. Concentration optimization may be required for specific proteins or complex mixtures such as cell lysates.
Does printing need to be performed at low temperature?
No. Printing may be performed at room temperature as long as humidity is maintained at approximately 50–55% to prevent sample evaporation during the spotting process.
Can my protein sample contain urea?
Yes. Samples containing urea are routinely printed on ONCYTE® Film Slides without performance impact. ONCYTE® slides are chemically resistant to reagents commonly used in cell analysis assays, including up to 50% formamide. Note that acetone, ethanol, and methanol are not recommended — isopropanol and butanol are suitable substitutes. DMSO concentration should not exceed 5% as higher concentrations may negatively affect nitrocellulose integrity.
Can I use standard western blot blocking buffers?
The optimal blocking buffer depends on your detection method. Colorimetric and chemiluminescent detection workflows are compatible with standard western blot blocking buffers such as PBS or TBS containing 1–5% non-fat milk. For fluorescent detection, protein-based blocking buffers can introduce background fluorescence — SuperG™ Protein Array Blocking Buffer has been specifically optimized for fluorescent microarray assays and delivers a high signal-to-noise ratio with minimal background.
What detection systems are compatible with ONCYTE® Film Slides?
ONCYTE® Film Slides are compatible with virtually all detection systems, including isotopic, chemiluminescent, chromogenic, and fluorescent detection. AVID offers the broadest detection compatibility across all four variants.
How should I store printed and non-printed ONCYTE® slides?
Non-printed slides should be stored at room temperature in their original packaging. Printed slides may be stored at 4°C for short-term storage or at -20°C for long-term storage. An overnight incubation at 4°C after printing is recommended to maximize protein binding before use.
What controls should I include in my microarray experiment?
IgG pre-labeled with a fluorophore should be spotted on every array to confirm proper protein binding. Buffer-only spots enable background subtraction, and secondary antibody-only stained slides serve as negative controls. Spotted replicates for each protein are strongly recommended to ensure statistical confidence in your results.
Can ONCYTE® Film Slides be stripped and re-used?
No. Re-use of ONCYTE® Film Slides is not advisable. Each slide is designed for single-use to ensure consistent, reproducible results.
