Question:
I am soon to embark upon a screen using your CDS01 kit for tubulin polymerisation. Could you please comment on the solvent, eg DMSO tolerance of this kit? What are the expected %CV's for a control polymerisation?

Answer:
DMSO or ethanol are fine below 1%. The usual practice is to have your compounds at 10 x strength in 10% DMSO or ethanol in G-PEM buffer. The compounds must be pipetted into a warm plate (37°C) and the tubulin pipetted into here at 4°C, then you will get good polymerization. Another concern is condensation after pipetting in cold tubulin. You should wait for 30-60 s before taking the first reading if this is a problem or wipe the underside of the plate prior to reading. A half-area 96-well plate is included in the kit. Do you have a temperature controlled 96-well plate reader that has 340 nm capability?