Array configurations based on read-out techniques

For screening applications in pharamceutical research and in environmental analysis, homogeneous and heterogeneous phase assays are already well established. The large number of samples to be examined requires the measurement of a multi-sample arrangement by means of parallel techniques which are improved by miniturisation. This has the additional advantage of reducing the volume of samples and reagents, coming close to nanoliter volumes. For both approaches (high throughput screening and multi-sample detection in environmental analysis) imaging read-out systems are used which allow simultaneous monitoring of biomolecular interaction processes. Two applications are demonstrated: direct optical detection techniques of the affinity reaction between thrombin and inhibitors as well as pesticide detection in environmental analysis using resonance energy transfer (RET).