PDQuest Is Discontinued. Bio-Rad Recommends TotalLab's SameSpots and SpotMap 2D
Bio-Rad discontinued its PDQuest 2-D analysis software in June 2019. Rather than leave PDQuest users without a path, Bio-Rad evaluated the alternatives and wrote to its customers naming TotalLab as its preferred vendor. This page reproduces what Bio-Rad said, explains what it means for labs still running PDQuest, and sets out how the move to SameSpots works in practice.
“The software packages we are recommending are SameSpots and SpotMap from TotalLab Limited, our preferred alternative vendor for 2D analysis software. We have evaluated the software and found it to be comparable to our software and will suit your needs for 2D analysis and beyond.”
Mona Chin, Global Product Manager, Bio-Rad Laboratories
Customer announcement on the discontinuation of PDQuest, 2018
Read Bio-Rad’s announcement in full
What Bio-Rad discontinued, and when
PDQuest 2-D Analysis Software, catalog numbers 1709620 and 1709630, was withdrawn from sale in June 2019, with Bio-Rad citing business factors. Bio-Rad’s product page still exists and now carries a discontinuation notice directing customers to their sales representative for replacement products. There is no successor product from Bio-Rad.
Existing licenses continue to run, but PDQuest receives no updates, no security patches and no technical support. Labs that upgrade their PCs find that a package last developed for older versions of Windows does not always survive the move, and a validated GMP environment cannot keep unsupported software indefinitely.
Why Bio-Rad named TotalLab
Bio-Rad’s letter says it evaluated the software and found it comparable to PDQuest. Two products were named, because PDQuest was used for two different jobs.
SameSpots for 2D gel and 2D-DIGE expression analysis
The direct replacement for PDQuest’s core use: comparing spot expression across gels. SameSpots aligns every image first and detects one spot pattern across the whole experiment, so every spot is measured on every gel with no missing values. Statistics are built in, DIGE is included in the standard license, and analysis takes under five minutes per gel.
SameSpots 2D gel analysis software
SpotMap 2D for HCP antibody coverage
The replacement for PDQuest in biologics QC, where 2D gels and 2D Western blots are compared to measure anti-HCP antibody coverage. SpotMap 2D is built for that calculation, with automated quadrant analysis and cross-reactivity exclusion, and with AuditSafe it provides audit trails and electronic signatures for 21 CFR Part 11 environments.
Moving from PDQuest to SameSpots
The two packages approach the same problem differently, and knowing the mapping makes the first analysis go faster.
Master gel and match sets become alignment to a reference. In PDQuest you built a master gel and matched spots to it, editing matches by hand. In SameSpots you choose a reference image and every other image is aligned to it at the pixel level, automatically, before any spot is detected. There is no match editing step because there is no matching step.
Per-gel spot detection becomes one detection across the experiment. PDQuest detected spots on each gel separately, which is why spots went missing from some gels. SameSpots detects a single spot pattern once the images are aligned, so every spot exists on every gel.
Gaussian spot modeling becomes outline-based quantification. Spot volumes in SameSpots are measured within a detected outline that is identical on every gel, which is what makes the statistics valid across the set.
Your images come with you. Any 16-bit image PDQuest analyzed can be imported into SameSpots. PDQuest project files themselves are not imported; the analysis is re-run, which on a typical experiment takes an hour rather than a day.
Your workflow is shorter. Image QC, alignment, detection, review, statistics, pick list, protein ID import: SameSpots runs them in that order in one window. Our step-by-step guide walks through each stage.
What TotalLab provides during the transition
A free trial license so you can run your own PDQuest images through SameSpots before deciding. Training for your users, online or on site. Direct technical support from the people who develop the software. And, for regulated labs, support for validating SameSpots and SpotMap 2D with AuditSafe in a 21 CFR Part 11 environment.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDQuest discontinued?
Yes. Bio-Rad withdrew PDQuest 2-D Analysis Software from sale in June 2019 and does not sell a successor. Bio-Rad’s product page carries the discontinuation notice.
What does Bio-Rad recommend instead of PDQuest?
In its customer announcement Bio-Rad named SameSpots and SpotMap 2D from TotalLab Limited as its preferred alternative vendor for 2D analysis software. The announcement is reproduced on this page.
Does PDQuest run on Windows 11?
PDQuest is unsupported and was last developed for earlier versions of Windows. Some installations run on Windows 10 or 11; many do not, and there is no vendor support if they fail. SameSpots is developed and supported for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Can I import my PDQuest data into SameSpots?
Your gel images can be imported and re-analyzed. PDQuest project files are not converted; the analysis is repeated in SameSpots, which is typically faster than the original PDQuest analysis was.
Is SameSpots comparable to PDQuest?
Bio-Rad’s own evaluation found it “comparable to our software”. In practice SameSpots removes the spot matching step that made PDQuest analyses slow, and gives every spot a value on every gel.
What about DeCyder and Delta2D?
GE Healthcare’s DeCyder is no longer developed and TotalLab publishes a migration guide for it. For Delta2D users, the same trial and transition support applies. Why upgrade from DeCyder to SameSpots (PDF guide)
Run your PDQuest images through SameSpots
Request a free trial, send us a set of gels you analyzed in PDQuest, and compare the results. Trial licenses are usually issued within one business day.