SPA Scintillation beads are microspheres containing scintillant which emit light in the blue region of the visible spectrum. As a result, these beads are ideally suited to use with photomultiplier tube (PMT) counters such as the MicroBeta2 or TopCount. Two types of core SPA Scintillation bead are available - yttrium silicate (YSi) and Polyvinyltoluene (PVT). PVT beads are plastic, larger in size, and stay in suspension longer than the crystalline YSi beads. Scintillation proximity assay (SPA) is a homogeneous and versatile technology for the rapid and sensitive assay of a wide range of biological processes, including applications using enzyme and receptor targets, radioimmunoassays, and molecular interactions. When 3H, 14C, 33P, and 125I radioisotopes decay, they release -particles (or Auger electrons, in the case of 125I).