Virtual Events

Speakers Share

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Chief Scientific Officer, Aces Diagnostics Inc.

BIOGRAPHY
Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Senior Director, Scientific Affairs Programs, Diasorin

BIOGRAPHY
Nicholas Putnam

Scientist, R&D Workflow Applications, Thermo Fisher Scientific

BIOGRAPHY
Laurie Stephen, PhD

President, Ampersand Biosciences

BIOGRAPHY

October 8, 2025 8:00 am PT | 10:00 am CT | 11:00 am ET

xMAP Connect 2025 Virtual Series

18 +50pts

Announcing xMAP^® Connect 2025 Virtual Series

Join us for an immersive virtual experience about Multiplexing - From Data to Discovery - starting Wednesday, October 1st, with webinars presented every Wednesday for 8 weeks!

At 7:45am PT meet our xMAP partners in the Exhibit Hall
At 8:00am PT join us in the Auditorium for the featured presentation followed by live Q&A
At 9:00am PT join attendees in the Networking Lounge to connect with xMAP users across the globe

What to Expect:

Discover the power of Luminex xMAP Technology and why it’s the leading platform for analyzing biomarkers and immunogenicity
Learn from xMAP experts who specialize in the validation, optimization, and development of multiplex assays for nucleic acids and proteins
Gain insights into how researchers have efficiently developed biomarker assays to support clinical trials using xMAP Technology
Explore how xMAP could be the ideal technology to develop your innovative diagnostic test
Understand the best practices across a wide range of research applications

Whether you're new to xMAP or a seasoned user, this virtual format brings the same valuable insights—without leaving your lab. Let’s connect, learn, and advance the future of multiplexing together.

Featured Speaker: Laurie Stephen, PhD, President, Ampersand Biosciences

Laurie Stephen, PhD launched Ampersand Biosciences in 2015 to serve the unmet need of multiplex assay development and validated Luminex kits. Ampersand is the second company she founded—in 2005, she launched Multiplex Biosciences to provide custom multiplex services. After Multiplex Biosciences was acquired by Rules Based Medicine (Myriad RBM), she worked at Myriad RBM for several years overseeing the development of new biomarker assays and multiplex kits. Dr. Stephen began her career working for Upstate Biotechnology, where her group released the first commercial Luminex cytokine kit on the market. She has been the principle investigator on several grants and has authored numerous papers on multiplex assay development and validation. Dr. Stephen received her PhD from the University of Guelph and her BS and MS from McGill University, and did post-doctorate work with the University of Toronto.

_____

Global Partners & Industry Insights Luminex global partners, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, MilliporeSigma, and Bio-Techne, will also participate in the webinar series. Their expert speakers will share exciting updates on new kits targeting emerging biomarkers, helping you explore how xMAP Technology can be applied to your specific research or diagnostic needs.

Speakers

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Chief Scientific Officer, Aces Diagnostics Inc.
BIOGRAPHY
Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Senior Director, Scientific Affairs Programs, Diasorin
BIOGRAPHY
Nicholas Putnam

Scientist, R&D Workflow Applications, Thermo Fisher Scientific
BIOGRAPHY
Laurie Stephen, PhD

President, Ampersand Biosciences
BIOGRAPHY

Agenda Share

Download Agenda

OCT 15, 2025 8:00 AM PDT

Integrated quality control processes for cell therapy workflows using automated solutions

Nicholas Putnam

Scientist, R&D Workflow Applications, Thermo Fisher Scientific
BIOGRAPHY

CAR-T cell therapy research for B cell cancers must meet FDA guidelines for safety, efficacy, and stability. Accurate testing, including cytokine assays, is essential to avoid risks such as cytokine-release syndrome in research settings. Development of cell and gene therapy research faces multiple bottlenecks, especially in the characterization and QC processes, which are traditionally manual and time-consuming. The need for an automated solution to streamline the research workflow and minimize manual intervention is critical to improving throughput and consistency. Automation of multiplexed immunoassays, like the Luminex xMAP® Technology-based Invitrogen™ ProcartaPlex™ immunoassay with Thermo Scientific™ KingFisher Apex Purification system, may offer ease of use and significantly reduce hands-on time requirements to evaluate cellular expansion in research settings. In QC processes, the KingFisher Apex system can be utilized with Applied Biosystems™ MagMAX™ chemistries to isolate DNA and RNA sequentially from a single supernatant, allowing streamlined workflows for assessment of quality performance in cell cultures in research settings. In this webinar, we will discuss innovative approaches to future CAR-T cell therapy development workflows by deploying automation and innovative sample preparation solutions to improve productivity and efficiency.

Learning Objectives:

1. Automation of cell therapy research workflows from discovery to preclinical stages.

2. Quantification of CAR-T targeted killing in research settings with multiplexed immunoassays on automation instruments.

3. Preservation of sample while enhancing productivity and workflows during QC of cell cultures post-transduction within future cell therapy development workflows.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

OCT 29, 2025 8:00 AM PDT

Multiplexed Serodiagnostic Test with Advanced Machine Learning Classifier for Single-Tier Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Chief Scientific Officer, Aces Diagnostics Inc.
BIOGRAPHY

Lyme disease is a high-incidence infectious disease with a global prevalence of 14.5% of the world's population. Two-tier serology is currently the primary diagnostic test for Lyme disease; however, this approach has limitations and does not aid in diagnosis at the earliest, most treatable stage. Here, we present an innovative multiplexed serodiagnostic test aiming to improve the diagnostic accuracy of Lyme disease testing. The assay measures both IgM and IgG antibodies against multiple Borrelia proteins and peptides utilizing Luminex xMAP® Technology, and includes a unique calibrator for quantification. Luminex’s output is interpreted with an advanced machine learning classifier to provide an unambiguous test result. The test is performed using Luminex analyzers already in place in many clinical laboratories. This test could potentially improve early diagnosis of Lyme disease, enabling earlier treatment to reduce the risk of Lyme-associated chronic illness attributed to undiagnosed cases. This single test achieves high sensitivity without losing specificity in people with both early- and late-stage Lyme disease.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the challenges of diagnosing Lyme disease and the limitations of the current two-tier serological tests.

2. Explain how the combination of IgM and IgG antibody detection with a machine-learning classifier significantly improves test accuracy.

3. Compare test performance of the multiplexed immunoassay with two tier serology, and consider how improved early detection of Lyme disease would improve patient short- and long-term outcomes.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

OCT 08, 2025 8:00 AM PDT

Development and Validation of Luminex Assays for Use in Pre-Clinical and Clinical Sample Testing

Laurie Stephen, PhD

President, Ampersand Biosciences
BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Stephen will cover the process of developing and manufacturing reliable Luminex biomarker assays, as well as using those assays to test samples. She will examine the development of Ampersand Biosciences ferret and hamster cytokine panels: two panels developed with the support from two SBIR contracts to develop reagents for these important models of disease. She will also discuss their new flavivirus serological panel that detects IgG to viruses such as Zika virus, dengue, and equine encephalitis. Her presentation will focus on strategic antibody and sample selection, as well as the development and validation of assays tailored to your specific research needs. She will follow up with key factors related to sample testing both for home brew assays and purchased kits. In the end, attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to optimize the power of multiplexing in their own lab.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about the development of serological and sandwich assays using Luminex technology.

2. Gain insight into the scale of Luminex assay manufacture and validation.

3. Review key factors needed for accurate sample testing.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT
OCT 01, 2025 8:00 AM PDT

Advancing Biomarker Analysis with Luminex xMAP® Technology: A Versatile Platform for Multiplexing Innovation

Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Senior Director, Scientific Affairs Programs, Diasorin
BIOGRAPHY

Luminex xMAP^® Technology is a powerful bead-based multiplexing platform capable of simultaneously detecting and quantifying up to 500 distinct analytes in a single sample. Utilizing color-coded microspheres conjugated to specific capture molecules, xMAP enables precise and efficient analysis of complex biological samples. Detection is achieved through fluorescent labeling and flow cytometry-based readout, providing high-resolution data on target concentration. With over three decades of proven performance, xMAP has become the benchmark for high-throughput multiplexing across diverse applications—from translational research to clinical diagnostics. This presentation will highlight recent innovations and applications of xMAP Technology, showcasing its versatility in biomarker discovery, immunogenicity testing, and assay development for clinical trials. Attendees will gain insights into how xMAP supports scalable, sensitive, and flexible assay design, making it an ideal platform for developing next-generation diagnostic tools and personalized medicine strategies.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Help

Loading Comments...

Attendees

Speakers Share

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Nicholas Putnam

Laurie Stephen, PhD

xMAP Connect 2025 Virtual Series

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Nicholas Putnam

Laurie Stephen, PhD

Agenda Share

Wed Oct 15

Wed Oct 29

ondemand

Integrated quality control processes for cell therapy workflows using automated solutions

Multiplexed Serodiagnostic Test with Advanced Machine Learning Classifier for Single-Tier Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Development and Validation of Luminex Assays for Use in Pre-Clinical and Clinical Sample Testing

Advancing Biomarker Analysis with Luminex xMAP® Technology: A Versatile Platform for Multiplexing Innovation

Speakers Share // Get the id and entity for ajax statistics window.entity = 'VirtualEvent'; window.entityId = '9612';

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Nicholas Putnam

Laurie Stephen, PhD

xMAP Connect 2025 Virtual Series

Holly Ahern, MS, MT(ASCP)

Sherry Dunbar, PhD, MBA

Nicholas Putnam

Laurie Stephen, PhD

Agenda Share // Get the id and entity for ajax statistics window.entity = 'VirtualEvent'; window.entityId = '9612';

Wed Oct 15

Wed Oct 29

ondemand

Integrated quality control processes for cell therapy workflows using automated solutions

Multiplexed Serodiagnostic Test with Advanced Machine Learning Classifier for Single-Tier Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Development and Validation of Luminex Assays for Use in Pre-Clinical and Clinical Sample Testing

Advancing Biomarker Analysis with Luminex xMAP® Technology: A Versatile Platform for Multiplexing Innovation

Speakers Share

Agenda Share