Application Note: Measure Oxidative Metabolism and Glycolytic Activity on the SpectraMax i3x Reader
12 April 2019
To survive, cells require fuel in the form of ATP to carry out most essential bioprocesses. This fuel is generated through glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. While both produce ATP, glycolysis can function in the absence of oxygen, whereas mitochondria require oxygen for the final step in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). These pathways dynamically shift to meet energy demands of the cells while adapting to environmental stresses, substrate availability, and hypoxia. Generally, measurements of changes give more information about metabolic responses than a single point measurement (e.g. ATP endpoint). Perturbed respiration is a sensitive indicator of mitochondrial dysfunction following drug toxicity. Aberrant mitochondrial function has been implicated in a growing spectrum of diseases, from neurodegeneration to cancer.