Roche and Hamilton Robotics jointly announced the introduction of a new, integrated platform enabling automated DNA sample enrichment for Roche’s 454 GS Junior sequencer.

The platform builds on the integration of Roche’s REM e System with Hamilton’s Microlab® NIMBUS NGS workstation, resulting in reduced hands-on time, minimized operational variability and more consistent results.

“This new integrated platform will replace about four hours of laborious manual work,” said Thomas Schinecker, head of 454 Life Sciences “It is a true walkaway solution, offering an economical, convenient, compact enrichment procedure for all our GS Junior customers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Hamilton to develop more innovative, automated solutions for our GS Junior System.”

The new platform has been fully tested and validated to automate the emPCR breaking, bead enrichment and sequence primer annealing steps in the GS Junior sample preparation workflow. Dedicated software with a graphical user interface (GUI) provides easy automation setup and simple user control.

“The Hamilton NIMBUS NGS Systems are built to speed the liquid handling process by using advanced robotic pipetting technologies,” said Dr. Jose Carle, Vice President, Hamilton Robotics. “With Roche we’ve intentionally kept the systems easy to use, affordable and smaller than conventional systems, thus putting the power of high-throughput genetic analysis and discovery directly into researchers' hands.”

About the Roche REM e System:

The REM e System is a liquid handler accessory designed to fully automate the emPCR enrichment and sequence primer annealing steps in the 454 Sequencing workflow. The module can be readily integrated into most commonly available liquid handling platforms, providing a cost-effective solution to increase sequencing productivity and consistency for the GS FLX and GS Junior Systems.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, infectious diseases, inflammation, metabolism and neuroscience. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. In 2012 Roche had over 82,000 employees worldwide and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 45.5 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

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About Hamilton Robotics

Hamilton is a leading worldwide supplier of precision liquid handling equipment, laboratory automation and storage systems, serving customers in academic and private research laboratories, pharmaceutical and clinical diagnostic companies and governmental institutions. Hamilton maintains headquarters in Reno, Nevada and Bonaduz, Switzerland, both of which house R&D and production facilities. Hamilton has subsidiaries for direct sales and service in many countries and works with a wide distributor network in other regions. Hamilton is a privately held company.

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