Resources for Previous Models of Qubit Fluorometers

Online and downloadable materials for the Qubit 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 Fluorometers

The manuals, brochures, application notes, downloads, demos, videos, and other resources in this section will help you get the most out of your original Qubit (1.0), 2.0, or 3.0 Fluorometer.

Request a quote

Request demo

Resources for the Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer

Manuals & guides

Qubit 3.0 user guide

Qubit 3.0 quick reference card

Software update

From the Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer home screen, touch Settings > About instrument to verify the software version currently on your instrument. If your instrument requires a software upgrade, download the latest version to your computer by clicking the link below. Then transfer it onto the Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer using a USB drive or USB cable and install it by touching Settings > Update software. For more detailed instructions, consult the Qubit 3.0 user guide.

Download the latest version (v1.02) of the Qubit 3.0 instrument software

Connecting to a Windows computer

Connecting a Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer to a computer running the Windows® operating system requires installation of a driver. Download both the driver and installation instructions below.

Download the driver installation zip file

Download the detailed installation instructions

Creating and downloading MyQubit assays

Designing and uploading a custom MyQubit assay for the Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer is the same as on the Qubit 4 Fluorometer. See the step-by-step instructions on the main Resources page.

Download preconfigured assays for the Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer from the table below.

Preconfigured MyQubit assays for the Qubit 2.0 and 3.0 Fluorometer

As examples of the kinds of custom MyQubit assays you can create, we have developed new MyQubit assays for several commonly quantitated analytes using Amplex Red reagents, along with MyQubit versions of two newer Qubit assays that weren’t preloaded on the Qubit 2.0 or 3.0 Fluorometer. When you transfer the assay .qbt files to your Qubit Fluorometer via a USB drive, they will be available alongside the factory-loaded Qubit assays, extending the capabilities of your Qubit Fluorometer.

Preconfigured MyQubit assays available for download

Assay	Download for Qubit 3.0 and 4	Download for Qubit 2.0*	PDF manual
1X dsDNA HS Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	1X dsDNA HS Assay manual
MicroRNA Assay	Preloaded	.qbt file	MicroRNA Assay manual
Amplex Red Cholesterol Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	Amplex Cholesterol Assay manual
Amplex Red Galactose Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	Amplex Red Galactose Assay manual
Amplex Glucose Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	Amplex Glucose Assay manual
Amplex Red Glutamic Acid Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	Amplex Red Glutamic Acid Assay manual
Amplex Red Peroxide Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	Amplex Red Peroxide Assay manual
Amplex Red Sucrose Assay	.qbt file	.qbt file	Amplex Red Sucrose Assay manual

*The Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer requires a USB flash drive of 2 GB or less, such as the one provided with the instrument, to transfer MyQubit files.

To download the .qbt file, click on the appropriate link in the table. Consult the assay’s PDF manual for instructions on uploading the .qbt file to your Qubit Fluorometer.

Resources for the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer

Manuals & guides

Qubit 2.0 user manual

Preconfigured MyQubit assays

Download preconfigured assays for the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer from the table above.

How to create custom MyQubit assays (Qubit 2.0)

MyQubit functionality allows you to create new assays for the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer in minutes, using parameters that can easily be uploaded to the instrument using a USB drive, without changing the existing assays. Your new assays can be optimized versions of existing fluorescence-based assays or can be completely novel.

MyQubit functionality requires that your Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer is running firmware v3.11 or higher. The USB drive you use to transfer data must have a capacity of 2 GB or less, like the one that came with your instrument.

Once you’ve developed your own fluorescence-based assay, follow these steps to create a MyQubit assay that will allow you to analyze your samples with your Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer and directly translate the fluorescence values to concentrations.

When placed in Raw mode (called Fluorometer mode on the Qubit 3.0 instrument), the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer can be used as a mini-fluorometer. In Raw mode, the fluorometer obtains raw fluorescence values that can be used to generate data to develop new assays or to validate the performance of existing assays.

Qubit 2.0 Fluorometers with serial numbers greater than 2286614942 are already configured to operate in Raw mode. Skip to step 2.
For Qubit Fluorometers not configured for Raw mode, first download and save the Qubit Raw mode file (qubit_raw.qbt) to your computer desktop by right-clicking on the link and choosing Save As. Then copy it to your USB drive, making sure that it is the only .qbt file on the drive.

To upload the Raw mode configuration to the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer, turn the power off by unplugging the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer. While the instrument is unplugged, insert the USB drive into the USB port on the instrument and then plug the instrument back in. Your Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer will detect the qubit_raw.qbt file on the USB drive and prompt you to upload the file. Once the upload is complete, you will return to a new home screen where Raw mode is now accessible.

Collecting the data. Prepare samples using your assay reagents and read them in Raw mode on the Qubit instrument. Raw mode allows you to manually select the excitation light source of your choice (blue or red LED, both, or none) while reading raw fluorescence values in both the green and far red emission channels. The values can be used to generate data to develop your new assay.

Defining the constants. We recommend that all users new to developing MyQubit assays use the MyQubit EZ Guide Excel® spreadsheet on your computer to process your Raw mode data and generate the parameters for your assays. The Guide allows you to enter Raw mode readings collected from samples of known concentrations and then calculates constants that can be used to define the shape of the standard curve that will be used to calibrate the new assay.

Simply enter the fluorescence values obtained in Fluorometer mode on the Qubit Fluorometer, along with the corresponding concentrations of the analyte. Once replicate data has been entered into the spreadsheet, adjust the N and K parameters to optimize the curve fit algorithm. Your goal is to adjust N and K to achieve the lowest possible Quality score as shown in the example.

Download the MyQubit EZ Guide

To create the MyQubit (.qbt) file for your assay, download and save the MyQubit .qbt file template to your computer desktop by clicking on the link. Uncompress the file, change the file extension from .qbt to .txt, and use a simple text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit to open it.

Make sure to create your .qbt file on your computer. Do not attempt to create or edit a .qbt file directly on the USB drive.

To define a single MyQubit assay, fill in the fields as shown in the figure. Consult the MyQubit file parameters and definitions table below for guidance on filling in the fields.

Although the MyQubit file template includes parameters for a single assay, each MyQubit file can store information for up to four unique assays. To add additional assays, simply copy and paste all the fields as many times as you have assays. Change the name headers from “Name 1” to “Name 2”, “Name 3”, and “Name 4” respectively. Although all fields may not be populated for every assay, all field headers must be included for each assay in the MyQubit file for the file to upload properly.

When you have entered all the parameters, save the file with a name that describes it (up to 20 ASCII characters, excluding commas) and change the extension back to .qbt. The file must have the .qbt extension to be read by the Qubit Fluorometer.

Once you have created and saved your MyQubit file on your computer, transfer it to the USB drive provided with the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer. Make sure there is only one .qbt file saved in the root directory of the USB drive. If there are multiple .qbt files on the USB drive, you will get an error when you try to upload the file to the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer.

To upload your new assay .qbt file, first turn the power off by unplugging the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer. While the instrument is unplugged, insert the USB drive into the USB port on the instrument and then plug the instrument back in. Your Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer will detect the .qbt file on the USB drive. If the file is correctly populated, you will be prompted to upload the assays contained in the .qbt file. Once the upload is complete, you will be directed to a new home screen where the Parent Name of your new MyQubit assay will be visible.

Screen shots showing process for uploading new assays to Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer

Your Qubit Fluorometer will guide you through the process of uploading new assays. You can upload up to 20 new assays without affecting existing assays.

Once uploaded, your new MyQubit assay is ready to use. Refer to the Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer User Guide for a detailed description of instrument function and assay workflow.

MyQubit file parameters and definitions

Parameter	Accepted values	Description
Parent Name	User defined, max 10 characters	Indicates the name visible on the initial home screen, i.e., the “family” of assays. For example, “DNA” is a Parent Name on the factory-configured instrument.
Name1 (and Name2, 3, 4)	User defined, max 10 characters	Indicates the individual assay name. For example, “dsDNA” is a Name on the factory-configured instrument.
Name Sub-text	User defined, max 20 characters	Indicates any smaller sub-text under the assay name (or to the right of the assay name from the graphical display). For example, “High Sensitivity” is a Name Sub-text on the factory-configured instrument.
Calibration	YES or NO	Indicates whether you are creating an assay that requires calibration or not. “YES” indicates that the assay will require calibration. All assays created using MyQubit that require calibration will utilize two standards, the first of which is always a sample blank (analyte concentration of “0”) and the second of which is a sample of a concentration to be determined by the user. “NO” indicates that the assay will not require calibration. In this case, the output will be a raw fluorescence value or values.
Units	User defined, text only, max 10 characters	Required only when Calibration is “YES.” Maximum length 10 characters.
Excitation	BLUE, RED, BOTH, or NONE	BOTH and NONE are acceptable only if Calibration is “NO.” Otherwise, this constitutes an error, and the .qbt file will not upload. BLUE = 470 nm, filter 430–495 nm. RED = 635 nm, filter 600–645 nm.
Emission	GREEN, FAR RED, or BOTH	BOTH is acceptable only if Calibration is “NO.” Otherwise, this constitutes an error and the .qbt file will not upload. GREEN = 510–580 nm. FAR RED = 665–725 nm.
Std Signal Ratio Limit	User defined, numeric only	Needed only when Calibration is “YES.” This number specifies the amount, in raw fluorescence, that the signal for Standard #2 must exceed the signal for Standard #1 for your MyQubit assay. This is meant to help troubleshoot large oversights in calibration. If you are unsure of a reasonable threshold, or if this is not of concern to you, then enter a small value that you will be assured of attaining in most calibrations.
Low	User defined, numeric only	Needed only when Calibration is “YES.” Indicates the lowest sample concentration that the instrument will display a result for. Samples with concentrations below this value will be reported as “< Low” and will display the message “Sample TOO LOW”
High	User defined, numeric only	Needed only when Calibration is “YES.” Indicates the highest sample concentration that the instrument will display a result for. Samples with concentrations above this value will be reported as “> High” and will display the message “Sample TOO HIGH”
N	User defined, numeric only	Needed only when Calibration is “YES.” One of three algorithm constants that must be determined by the user. Indicates the linearity of the curve, with a value of 1.00 corresponding to completely linear.
K	User defined, a scaling factor, numeric only	Needed only when Calibration is “YES.” One of three algorithm constants that must be determined by the user. Indicates the portion of the curve to focus on.
S	User defined, numeric only	Needed only when Calibration is “YES.” One of three algorithm constants that must be determined by the user. Indicates the concentration value of Standard #2 used in assay calibration.
Green RFU Name	User defined, max 20 characters	Indicates the name given to the displayed RFU output for Green emission when Calibration is “NO.” Needed only when Calibration is “NO” and Emission is “GREEN” or “BOTH.”
Far Red RFU Name	User defined, max 20 characters	Indicates the name given to the displayed RFU output for Far Red emission when Calibration is “NO.” Needed only when Calibration is “NO” and Emission is “FAR RED” or “BOTH.”

Troubleshooting .qbt files

Make sure that there is only one .qbt file on the USB drive at a time.
Make sure that your Qubit 2.0 Fluorometer is running v3.11 firmware or later. Contact Technical Support to make sure that you have up-to-date firmware needed to support this feature.
Make sure that all necessary fields in the .qbt file are completed.
Make sure that all fields are included for each assay in the .qbt file, even if content is not required for your assay.
Create and edit the .qbt file externally on a computer, then transfer to a USB drive afterwards. Do not attempt to create or edit a .qbt file directly on the USB drive.
Make sure that the .qbt file is saved to the root directory of the USB drive.
Make sure that the field entries in your .qbt file adhere to the guidelines described in the MyQubit file parameters and definitions table above.
Make sure that the name of your .qbt file does not exceed 20 characters and does not contain any commas.