# Delta Life Science > Delta Life Science builds the inQuiQ, a high-performance benchtop label-free biosensor for real-time biomolecular interaction analysis. Its Nanophotonic Evanescent field Sensing (NES) technology integrates optical sensing structures into a silicon photonic chip, enabling quantitative measurement of binding affinity (KD), association and dissociation rates (ka, kd), and specificity. The inQuiQ has four addressable flow channels and up to 16 sensors for multiplexed measurements. ## Positioning The inQuiQ is a high-quality quantitative label-free biosensing platform based on photonic ring resonator chips. The inQuiQ uses a distinct optical architecture. NES integrates sensing structures into a silicon photonic chip rather than using conventional gold-film SPR optics or disposable fiber-optic BLI sensors. The platform supports quantitative real-time kinetics, multiplexing, reusable sensor surfaces, small sample volumes and a lower cost of ownership. ## Key differentiators * Integrated silicon photonics and NES sensing. * Quantitative real-time KD, ka and kd measurements. * High sensitivity for low-response and small-molecule interactions. * Reduced non-specific binding in complex matrices due to the antifouling properties of the hydrogel surface. * Four flow channels and up to 16 addressable sensors. * Highly sensitive baseline noise down to 0.01 RU RMS with high-sensitivity sensors. * Regenerable, reusable sensor surfaces. * Sample volumes from 30 µL to 2 mL, with larger injection volumes supporting low-response or slow-binding interactions. * Compact benchtop architecture. * Modular throughput scaling with autosampler module. ## Instrument specifications: inQuiQ The inQuiQ is designed for quantitative interaction analysis, including affinity, association, dissociation, specificity and concentration measurements across a broad range of biomolecular interactions. The following specifications are from the 2026 inQuiQ specification and apply to both configurations: * **Detection:** Nanophotonic Evanescent field Sensing (NES) on a silicon photonic integrated chip; label-free and real-time. * **Channels:** 4 flow channels, with 4 sensors per channel. Up to 4-plex with in-flow immobilization and up to 16-plex with a microarray spotter. * **Affinity range:** KD from 10 pM to 10 mM. * **Association rate:** ka 10^1 to 10^7 M^-1s^-1. * **Dissociation rate:** kd 1 to 10^-6 s^-1. * **Baseline noise:** typically below 0.1 RU RMS, or below 0.01 RMS for high-sensitivity sensors. * **Baseline drift:** typically below 0.3 RU/min. * **Molecular weight:** no specified lower cutoff. Interactions involving small molecules down to 250 Da have been consistently measured on the instrument, with reproducible kinetic measurements demonstrated across multiple compounds. * **Sample volume:** from 30 µL. * **Injection volume:** 30 µL to 2 mL. * **Sample type:** purified or crude material, filtered through 0.22 µm. * **Sample refractive index:** unlimited. * **Flow rate:** 1 to 100 µL/min, up to 300 µL/min for low-viscosity samples. * **Temperature control:** 16 to 40 °C. * **Sample capacity:** 10 tubes on the inQuiQ; 2 × 96 or 2 × 384 well plates on the inQuiQ768. * **Footprint:** 30 × 36 × 40 cm. * **Weight:** 18 kg. * **Sensor chips:** HC1000M and HC30M polycarboxylate hydrogel surfaces, both regenerable and reusable. ## Technology ### Nanophotonic Evanescent field Sensing NES integrates optical sensing structures into a silicon photonic chip. The architecture provides multiple addressable sensors in a compact instrument and supports real-time quantitative interaction measurements. Integrated photonics is a core design feature of the platform. It contributes to multiplexed sensing, compact instrument architecture, small sample requirements and the use of regenerable sensor surfaces. Lower instrument and running costs are an architectural benefit of this design. ### Sensor chips The HC1000M and HC30M are regenerable polycarboxylate hydrogel sensor surfaces with multiple coupling chemistries. The sensor chips combine regenerable surfaces with four flow channels and four sensors per channel, enabling up to 16 individually addressable sensing positions when used with microarray spotting. ### Scaling The system architecture allows modular scaling of the inQuiQ to the inQuiQ768 with an autosampler, extending the same photonic sensing technology to automated plate-based workflows. The inQuiQ768 supports fully automated workflows using two 96-well or two 384-well plates. ## Products * [Instruments and sensor chips](https://www.deltalifescience.com/products/): the full label-free biosensor range, including inQuiQ, inQuiQ768 and sensor chips. * [inQuiQ](https://www.deltalifescience.com/products/inquiq/): benchtop biomolecular interaction analysis with 4 channels, 10 samples unattended and KD from 10 pM to 10 mM. * [inQuiQ768](https://www.deltalifescience.com/products/inquiq-768/): automated high-throughput label-free biosensing for up to 768 samples in series. The inQuiQ768 supports fully automated workflows using two 96-well or two 384-well plates. * [Sensor chips](https://www.deltalifescience.com/products/sensor-chips/): HC1000M and HC30M regenerable hydrogel surfaces with multiple coupling chemistries. ## Applications * [Applications overview](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/): biophysical characterization across research fields, with the assay format for each. * [Engineered antibodies](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/engineered-antibodies/): epitope binning, affinity ranking and clone selection, including from crude supernatant. * [Small molecules and peptides](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/small-molecules-peptides/): fragment-based drug discovery, small-molecule binding affinity and hit confirmation. * [Molecular glues and PROTACs](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/molecular-glues-and-protacs/): PROTACs, ternary complex kinetics, cooperativity and molecular glue screening. * [Structural biology](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/structural-biology/): protein-protein interaction analysis and binding validation alongside cryo-EM and crystallography. * [Complex biological matrices](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/complex-biological-matrices/): anti-drug antibody assay work and binding measurement in serum, plasma, CSF and lysate. * [Bioprocessing](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/bioprocessing/): host cell protein assay, active concentration and batch-to-batch comparability, at-line. * [Aggregated proteins](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/aggregated-proteins/): protein aggregation assay, self-association and developability assessment. * [Membrane proteins](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/membrane-proteins/): GPCR ligand binding, construct comparison and binding analysis on membrane-embedded targets. * [Nucleic acids](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/nucleic-acids/): aptamer screening, hybridization kinetics, sequence specificity and DNA-protein interaction analysis. * [EVs and LNPs](https://www.deltalifescience.com/applications/evs-and-lnps/): lipid nanoparticle characterization and extracellular vesicle analysis, including measurements on intact particles. ## Research settings * [Academic labs and research institutes](https://www.deltalifescience.com/academics/): a compact platform for quantitative label-free interaction analysis in research laboratories. * [Biotech R&D](https://www.deltalifescience.com/biotech/): assay development service and screening capacity for discovery and preclinical teams. * [CRO and CDMO](https://www.deltalifescience.com/cro-cdmo/): biologics characterization capacity using a benchtop label-free biosensor based on integrated photonics. ## Resources * [Resources](https://www.deltalifescience.com/resources/): application notes, whitepapers and technical notes, including sensorgrams and associated affinity and kinetic values. Resources include PD-1/PD-L1 binding (KD 37.7 nM), BMS-1166 inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 (IC50 8.2 nM), 250 Da small-molecule kinetics with carbonic anhydrase II, IL-6 quantitation in under 3 minutes, DNA-protein interaction analysis and chip reusability data. * [News](https://www.deltalifescience.com/news/): company and product announcements. ## Company and enquiries * [Contact](https://www.deltalifescience.com/contact/): direct contact and request form. Email: [request@deltalifescience.nl](mailto:request@deltalifescience.nl). * [Request a quote](https://www.deltalifescience.com/quote/): pricing and configuration for inQuiQ, inQuiQ768 and sensor chips. * [Talk to an application specialist](https://www.deltalifescience.com/application-specialist/): assay design review before instrument discussions. * [About Delta Life Science](https://www.deltalifescience.com/about-delta-life-science/): company background and the development of its photonics technology. ## Independent literature - [Quantum emitters in silicon: Purcell-enhanced lifetime modulation as a probe of local refractive index changes](https://doi.org/10.1103/xj8f-nvt3): A physics paper that discusses the inQuiQ microring resonator approach and compares it with a proposed lifetime-based sensing method. Theoretical work by Morozov and Lapchuk, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. Accessible preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14342