A Microplate or Multiwell is a flat
plate/tray/panel/dish with multiple test tubes.
This is perhaps the best way to describe this
versatile format that is now a standard in analytical
research and clinical diagnostic testing. The
number of " test tubes", more commonly
known as " wells " have gone beyond
1536 to 3456 and even 9600 which brings the Microplate
into Nano range and Pico range is not far behind.
While the origins go back to 1951/2 in Hungary
where Dr. Takatsy machined 6 rows of 12 in a Lucite
(acrylic), common usage in the laboratory started
in the late 50's and started to gain momentum
during the late '50's when John Liner in USA had
introduced a molded version. By 1990, microplates
were available with filter bottoms and overall
there were more than 15 companies producing a
wide range of microplates. The current estimate
of the total market for microplates in 2000 is
approximately 125 Million.
An overview of the significant events
in the history of the development of microplates
is shown below:
|
Year
|
Innovator
|
Affiliation
|
Contribution
|
|
1951
|
Dr. G. Takatsy
|
N.I.P.H. Hungary
|
72/100 well machined
acrylic plate |
|
1952
|
Dr. G. Takatsy
|
N.P.H. Hungary
|
First 96 well V
bottom machined plate |
|
1953
|
Mr. John Liner
|
Linbro Company
|
First vacuum formed
96 well microplate |
|
1963 / 64
|
Drs. Sever & Cooke
|
N.I.H. Labs USA
|
First molded 96
well microplate |
|
1965
|
Cooke
|
Cooke Labs USA
|
Company
set up to make 96 well plates in acrylic and
later in polystyrene |
|
1966
|
Dr. Knebel
|
Griener Labs
|
First production
of 96 well plates in Europe |
|
1968
|
Cooke
|
Cooke Labs USA
|
Patent issued for
microplate Microtiter and Trade Mark registered |
|
1968 / 69
|
Not known
|
Falcon (now BD)
|
6 well PVC thermoformed
plate |
|
1968 / 69
|
N.A.
|
Dynatech Labs
|
Dynatech Corp acquires
Cooke Labs USA |
|
1969 / 70
|
Dr. Morningstar
|
Data Packaging Corp.
|
Custom molder for
Microtiter® plates |
|
1970
|
N.A.
|
Dynatech Labs / Data Packaging
Corp.
|
Form joint venture
known as CoStar |
|
1971
|
Cooke
|
N.A.
|
Lawsuit against
John Liner - microplate patent invalidated |
|
1972
|
N.A.
|
Dynatech Labs / Data Packaging
Corp.
|
Joint venture dissolved |
|
1972
|
Dr. P. Cleveland
|
Univeristy of Minnesota
|
First microplate
/ filter manifold |
|
1974
|
Allister Voller & Dr.
Ken Walls
|
London and CDC
|
Start using microplates
for ELISA |
|
1975
|
Greg Mathus & team
|
CoStar division of DPC
|
Plate format redisgned |
|
1975
|
In house team
|
Griener Labs
|
8 well strips flat
and U bottom |
|
1976
|
Not known
|
Falcon (now DB)
|
Starts moulded
96 well plate |
|
1976 / 80
|
N.A.
|
Corning, Nunc
|
Enter 96 well plate
market |
|
1979
|
A. Thorne
|
Dynatech (Dynex)
|
First individual
"removawell" |
|
1980
|
Dr. P. Cleveland
|
V & P Scientific
|
First microplate
with GF discs |
|
1980
|
Dr. P. Cleveland
|
V & P Scientific / Schleicher
& Schull
|
First 96 well dDot-blot
manifold |
|
1981
|
Kivosky et al
|
Millipore
|
Machined 96 well
plate with filter |
|
1981
|
Dr. Cleveland
|
UCLA at San Diego
|
First 96 well filter
plate patent |
|
1982
|
A. Thorne
|
Dynatech (Dynex)
|
First pigmented
(black & white) plates |
|
1983
|
A. Thorne
|
Dynatech (Dynex)
|
Patent issued for
above in Europe |
|
1983
|
Dr. M. Jolly
|
Pandex (now Iddex)
|
First black 96
well filter bottom plate |
|
1984
|
Roy Manns
|
Meipec
|
Designs first "no
cross-talk" filter plate |
|
1984
|
Roy Manns et al
|
Genemed Engineering
|
First patent for
two piece filter plate |
|
1985
|
Roy Manns et al
|
Genemed Engineering
|
Produces nitrocellulose
filter plate |
|
1985
|
Dr. P. Cleveland
|
V & P Scientific
|
First 12 well filter
strip in 96 well plate |
|
1986
|
Roy Manns
|
Genemed Engineering
|
Takes over development
of plates |
|
1987
|
Intenal R & D team
|
Dynatech Labs
|
8 and 12 well strips
in 96 well format |
|
1987
|
Manns, Saunders et al
|
Polyfiltronics Ltd.
|
Newco in the UK
for filter microplates |
|
1987 / 88
|
Dr. V. Matkovich
|
Pall Corp.
|
Develops 3 layer
/ 96 well plate |
|
1988
|
Internal R &D team
|
CoStar
|
8 well filter strip
introduced |
|
1988
|
Barry Bochner
|
Biolog
|
First postage size
microplate |
|
1990
|
Roy Manns et al
|
Polyfiltronics / Packard
|
First 96 well clear
bottom 96 well plate |
|
1990
|
Tom Astle
|
Tomtech / Pfizer
|
24 well plate with
Porex Frits |
|
1991
|
Unknown
|
Helix
|
First 864 well
plate |
|
1991
|
Richard Goodwin
|
Neuroprobe
|
First 96 well chemotaxis
chamber |
|
1991
|
Roy Manns
|
Polyfiltronics
|
First glass fibre
microplate |
|
1992
|
Dr. G. Lennon et al
|
Lawrence Livermore
|
First 384 well
developed |
|
1992
|
Dr. Bochner et al
|
Biolog / Polyfiltronics
|
First 48 well plate
(35 mm slide format) |
|
1992
|
In house team
|
Genetix
|
First commercial
384 well plate |
|
1992
|
Roy Manns et al
|
Packard Instruments
|
Unifilter 96 and
24 for scintillation |
|
1992
|
Richard Goodwin
|
Nueroprobe
|
Chemotaxis chamber
with viewplate |
|
1992
|
Roy Manns et al
|
Pakard Instruments
|
Viewplate 96 for
luminesence |
|
1993
|
In house team
|
Millipore
|
96 well multi-screen
PVDF |
|
1994
|
Richard Goodwin
|
Nueroprobe
|
ChemoTX system
with first low 25ul well plate and filter
frame |
|
1995
|
Roy Manns / Dr. Seed
|
Polyfiltronics / AGTC
|
First deep well
filter for DNA |
|
1994
|
Roy Manns et al
|
Polyfiltronics
|
First moulded PCR
plate |
|
1995
|
Manns / Margolin et al
|
Polyfiltronics
|
First moulded 384
PCR plate |
|
1996
|
Manns / Young et al
|
Whatman
|
First 1,536 well
plate |
|
1995 / 96
|
Manns et al
|
Polyfiltronics / MDC
|
First UV 96 well
spectraplate |
|
1996
|
Manns et al
|
Whatman / Aurora
|
First 3,456 well
nanoplate |
|
1997
|
Dr. Knebel
|
Greiner Labs
|
First injection
mou;lded 1,536 well plate |
|
1997
|
Richard Goodwin
|
Nueroprobe
|
300ul version of
ChemoTX system |
|
1997
|
Manns et al
|
Evotec / Whatman
|
First 96 well glass
bottom microplate |
|
1997
|
Dr. K. Oldenburg et al
|
Du Pont
|
First 9,600 well
plate |
|
1997
|
Dr. Knebel
|
Greiner Labs
|
First square well
1,536 well plate |
|
1997
|
In house team
|
Genetix Ltd
|
First round well
1,536 well plate |
|
1997
|
Lipsky, Manns
|
Whatman
|
First 2mm glass/PP
- combichem |
|
1997
|
Dr. Knebel
|
Greiner Labs
|
First clear bottom
1,536 well plate |
|
1997
|
Dr. Knebel
|
Greiner Labs
|
First small volume
(20ul) 96 well plate |
|
1998
|
Polyteam
|
Whatman Group
|
First deepwell
(400ul) 384 well plate |
|
1998
|
Dr. Knebel
|
Greiner labs
|
UV transparent
384 well plate |
|
1998
|
Dr. Smith et al
|
Whatman
|
Bioplates loaded
with resins |
|
1998
|
In house team
|
Affymax / Whatman
|
First 864 square
well plate |
|
1998
|
In house team
|
Affymax / Packard/ Whatman
|
First 864 well
viewplate |
|
1999
|
In house team
|
CoStar
|
96 well filter
plate |
|
1999
|
In house team
|
Millipore
|
Single piece 96
well filter plate |
|
1999
|
In house team
|
Whatman / Polyfiltronics
|
First 48 well 5
ml rectangular plate |
