Diagnosing hormone-based disorders using saliva samples dates back to the 1980s, but it is only the sensitivity improvements over the last decade that has led to saliva-based diagnostics becoming a viable alternative to blood testing. Biovis’ Diagnostik, a medical laboratory based in Limburg, Germany, has been at the forefront of saliva diagnostics since 2012, providing comprehensive testing to improve the analysis of hormone-based disorders....

Tecan has announced the launch of Resolvex Prep, a mid-range, benchtop automation solution for chromatography sample prep. The instrument will enhance the efficiency, accuracy and reliability of chromatography sample prep, with implications for analytical chemistry, proteomics and applications in biomedical research. Sample preparation for chromatography applications is a critical and technically demanding task. Even minor inconsistencies can have a significant impact on the quality of downstream assays...

Tecan proudly unveils Phase Separator™, an innovative liquid separation technology that promises to save time and improve accuracy in laboratory workflows. With specific applications in liquid biopsy and biobanking, its benefits will be felt in genomics, proteomics and across multiple disease areas, from oncology and neurodegenerative disease to metabolic disorders. Phase Separator is a unique pipetting capability of the new Air Flexible Channel Arm™ (Air FCA) on Tecan’s flagship liquid handling platform, the Fluent® Automation Workstation..

Tecan and DYNEX Technologies have announced a partnership to broaden the availability of quality ELISA products in the US. Customers will now have direct access to Tecan’s ELISA-related kits and comprehensive portfolio of reagents alongside DYNEX's fully automated ELISA workstations. This exciting collaboration between two market leaders will vastly expand customer reach across the US, providing access to a wide range of innovative laboratory solutions...

Tecan is pleased to announce the launch of the Resolvex A200 Omics and Resolvex A200 24, the next generation of Resolvex A200 positive pressure processors. The Resolvex A200 is an industry-proven, standalone system for automated positive pressure sample preparation, and the latest additions to the portfolio build on this success. These instruments boast unique capabilities to address unmet workflow needs and improve the flexibility and efficiency of the sample preparation process...

Tecan and Element Biosciences, Inc. – ­­ the developer of an innovative DNA sequencing platform disrupting genomics – are collaborating to offer a true benchtop NGS workflow with MagicPrep™ NGS^* and the AVITI™ System. The collaboration will bring together Tecan’s automation expertise and Element Biosciences’ unique sequencing technologies, employing proprietary chemistries from both companies to deliver a hands-free NGS solution offering unprecedented performance and flexibility for a benchtop set-up...

Tecan has partnered with Singular Genomics to use the turnkey MagicPrep™ NGS system to create sequencing-ready libraries for the G4™ Sequencing Platform. The agreement will bring together Tecan’s expertise in laboratory automation, genomics and bioinformatics with Singular Genomics’ fast, flexible and highly accurate sequencing technology to simplify life in the lab. MagicPrep NGS draws on Tecan’s many years of experience in robust liquid handling and NGS...

Trauma is the main cause of premature death internationally, resulting in more deaths in people under 40 years of age than all other causes combined. Even trauma victims that are taken to hospital have a high mortality rate, in part due to massive systemic inflammatory reactions leading to the dysfunction of organs that were not initially injured. A team at Oslo University Hospital in Norway has been investigating the role of the protein HMGB1...

UK genomics company, RevoluGen Ltd. is pleased to announce its agreement with Tecan, a pioneer and global leader in laboratory automation, for the manufacturing and supply of Tecan’s 96-well filter plates to be used in RevoluGen’s automated Fire Monkey™ High Molecular Weight (HMW)-DNA extraction kits. Automated DNA extraction using these specialized 96-well plates, which incorporate the proprietary Fire Monkey extraction technology...

Tecan has launched the MagicPrep NGS, an automated benchtop library preparation system that transforms time-consuming and error-prone procedures into a simple, robust experience. MagicPrep NGS system performs true ‘load and go’ DNA-Seq and mRNA-Seq library preparation. With proven liquid handling technology, all-inclusive reagent kits, and an intuitive user interface, the MagicPrep NGS is set up in just 10 minutes and generates eight sequencer-ready libraries with a greater than 99 % mean success rate...

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Dr Mason and his team set about turning their knowledge of functional genomics to sequencing and understanding the clinical impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The lab developed multiple methods to detect infections, track strain evolution, and identify biomarkers of disease course to assist with clinical identification and treatment....

Tecan has announced a highly anticipated software upgrade for one of its flagship products, the Fluent® Automation Workstation. The new FluentControl Scheduler offers a number of features designed to simplify day-to-day laboratory automation for significantly increased throughput and workflow efficiency. This software has been developed in response to customer feedback and an in-depth understanding of future market needs, with intelligent and user-friendly features that help labs heighten productivity...

Blood testing is ideal for a wide range of analytes, but it has limitations for hormone analysis. In Canada, FLUIDS iQ has turned to saliva as an alternative test matrix, which is proving an excellent choice for measuring the bioavailability of a range of hormones in the wellness arena. Blood has long been considered the ‘go to’ medium for a range of diagnostic tests, with saliva testing....

Tecan has launched the Frida Reader™ for the Fluent^® Automation Workstation, offering researchers the ability to quantify nucleic acids without sample loss. This unique solution performs UV absorbance-based quantification and purity assessment in a hanging drop, avoiding the consumption of rare and precious samples following nucleic acid purification (NAP)...

Tecan has launched the Fluent^® Mix and Pierce Workstation to provide end-to-end automation for whole blood pipetting in clinical environments. This newly developed instrument configuration is intended to standardize pre-analytical sample handling and mixing, and is part of an ongoing collaboration with QIAGEN to optimize sample preparation for latent tuberculosis (TB) testing with the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus assay....

On February 24th, Tecan is marking 20 years since the publication of the draft sequence of the human genome by hosting its first virtual genomics symposium. This one-day event will be live-streamed using a sophisticated new online platform, and will explore the latest advances in research, translational and clinical applications of genomics technologies, as well as offering a valuable networking opportunity to attendees....

Tecan has launched the Revelo RNA-Seq kit, offering end-to-end processing of human samples to enable complete viral RNA-Seq library preparation – including library quantification – in a single day. This kit has been developed specifically to address the pathogen detection and characterization challenges currently faced by laboratories around the world, and is ideally suited to NGS library preparation from low input, patient-derived sample types, such as nasal swabs...

Tecan has launched the Crescendo cDNA™ Synthesis for qPCR system to provide increased sensitivity for low input applications.Developed specifically to meet the needs of researchers working with scarce, precious or degraded RNA samples – such as nasal swabs –it uses Tecan’s proprietary Single Primer Isothermal Amplification (SPIA^®) technology to generate large quantities of cDNA from as little as 500 pg of total RNA....

Tecan and ProtiFi have partnered to create an integrated, highly scalable and easy-to-use proteomics workflow powered by the ProtiFi S-Trap™ sample preparation system and the Tecan Resolvex® A200 automated positive pressure workstation. The combined solution enables researchers to reproducibly prepare samples of all types for mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

Tecan is excited to announce an agreement with Thomas Scientific, a distributor of laboratory solutions and equipment, to support the sales of Tecan’s detection instruments and consumables portfolio in the US. This collaboration will allow Tecan to expand its presence for these product lines and reach a wider customer base across the academic and biotech communities....

Labforward introduces Well Plate Templates and the Tecan Connector App* add-ons for their Labfolder electronic lab notebook software that offers connectivity with Tecan microplate readers. Laboratories increasingly require an easy-to-use solution that integrates lab equipment into the larger workflow, with access to key instrument functionality and electronic data capture...

Tecan’s new Rapid EZ DNA-Seq library preparation kit is designed to offer PCR-free generation of sequencing-ready libraries for next generation sequencing (NGS). Ideally suited to whole genome sequencing and metagenomics for samples with varied GC content, as well as amplicon sequencing, this automation-friendly kit complements Tecan’s existing Celero™, Rapid and Ovation® Ultralow DNA-Seq library preparation solutions.

Tecan’s new DreamPrep NAP workstation is designed to simplify your nucleic acid extraction workflows. Tecan has collaborated closely with Zymo Research to offer a ready-to-go processing solution for the ZymoBIOMICS™ 96 MagBead DNA Kit, including walkaway quantification and normalization with an on-board Infinite® 200 PRO reader. The DreamPrep NAP featuring Zymo Research platform provides flexible processing of virtually any magnetic bead-based extraction workflow...

Congratulations to Christophe Deben and the team at the University of Antwerp's Center for Oncological Research (CORE) on winning a fully loaded Tecan Spark® Cyto plate reader with live cell imaging and real-time cytometry. This competition, which ran from April to September 2019, required labs to submit a written proposal explaining how they would use the system to further their research and advance scientific understanding....

Tecan is delighted to announce that the recently launched Spark® Cyto plate reader has been recognized at the prestigious 2019 Life Science Industry Awards. This unique system – which combines the flexibility of a high-end multimode plate reader with whole well imaging and comprehensive environmental control for cell-based assays – won the Silver prize in the Most Innovative New Cell Biology Product of 2019 category...

Tecan has unveiled its new Cavro® Magni Flex OEM robotic liquid handling instrument development platform at this year’s AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo. This modular and scalable solution is intended for low to medium throughput workflows, offering the flexibility and functionality to quickly and easily create innovative automation systems for virtually any life sciences application, from immunoassay processing to molecular diagnostics...

Tecan Partnering has consolidated its extensive OEM system development services for life sciences and IVD instruments to create Tecan Synergence™. Bringing together over 40 years of experience in laboratory automation and OEM instrument development, Tecan Synergence provides a rapid, structured and flexible approach to the creation of OEM solutions...

Tecan is launching the innovative Spark® Cyto plate reader at SLAS Europe 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, from the 26th to the 28th of June. The unique system is the first live cell plate reader to offer real-time detection and analysis of biological, chemical and physical events – capturing the maximum amount of data from every well, at the same time and under the same conditions. Building on the success of the original Spark platform, 

Tecan has introduced a redesigned packaging format for its Tecan Pure Liquid Handling (LiHa) disposable clear tips in direct response to customer feedback. This more compact and lightweight packaging option has less dead space between tip racks, making it easier and more economical to transport, as well as reducing waste disposal costs. By optimizing the packaging, the product now contains 45 percent less plastic....

Tecan announces the launch of NGS DreamPrep™, a fully-automated approach to next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation for research use. This groundbreaking new approach offers quality controlled, sequencing-ready NGS libraries in just a matter of hours, with minimal manual interaction and no sample loss. NGS DreamPrep™ is a full walkaway solution that combines the Tecan Fluent® liquid handler and Infinite® plate reader, together with Celero™ DNA-Seq and Universal Plus mRNA-Seq library preparation kits...

Tecan is offering its customers unprecedented insight into how their Fluent® and Freedom EVO® liquid handing platforms are being used, thanks to its Introspect™ and Common Notification System (Tecan CNS™) software tools. As laboratories and laboratory equipment become ever more connected with the Internet of Things (IoT), this powerful combination of monitoring solutions can provide valuable data on automated liquid handling platform usage...

Researchers at the University Hospital of Salzburg's EB House Austria are using a Tecan Spark® multimode reader to investigate epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare inherited disease that causes the skin to become ‘as fragile as a butterfly’s wings’, blistering in response to friction or trauma. Dr Verena Wally, group leader of small molecules research, explained...

Tecan’s range of advanced liquid handling solutions will soon be enhanced with the introduction of the new Fluent® Gx Automation Workstation, designed specifically to meet the stringent needs of clinical and regulated laboratories. This latest addition to the Tecan family will offer the flexibility to meet a host of laboratory needs – such as clinical diagnostics, next generation sequencing and nucleic acid purification – and provide the advanced process security features required for regulated applications in clinical, GCP, GLP, GMP and QC facilities....

Tecan has unveiled its latest innovation, the automated RESOLVEX™ A200 positive pressure workstation for LC-MS sample prep.

This walkaway system further expands Tecan’s portfolio of MS sample preparation workstations and smart consumables, uniquely allowing the company to provide complete solutions to match any workflow, from manual processing to semi-automated high throughput systems based on a Freedom EVO^® or Fluent^® platform....

Tecan has unveiled its latest innovation, the automated RESOLVEX™ A200 positive pressure workstation for LC-MS sample prep.

This walkaway systemfurther expands Tecan’s portfolio of MS sample preparation workstations and smart consumables, uniquely allowing the company to provide complete solutions to match any workflow, from manual processing to semi-automated high throughput systems based on a Freedom EVO^® or Fluent^® platform.....

Tecan has introduced a selection of clear Liquid Handling (LiHa) disposable tips*, creating a one-stop shop for all your disposable tip needs.

The new tips are intended for use with Air LiHa™, Air FCA™ and Cavro^® ADP pipetting options, providing cost-effective, verified performance for applications that do not require capacitive liquid level detection (cLLD)....

DiaSorin and Tecan Group have announced that they have agreed to collaborate in a development under which DiaSorin will make use of Tecan’s Fluent^®Laboratory Automation Solution as its nucleic acid extraction platform.

The new platform will be used in combination with the DiaSorin Liaison^® MDX PCR system to provide the customer with a complete sample to result system for molecular diagnostics. The Fluent platform, to be supplied through Tecan Partnering, will be optimized for use with DiaSorin extraction chemistry and automated PCR set up of the Liaison MDX 96-well disc....

Tecan’s popular Infinite^® 200 PRO series of multimode microplate readers has been updated to even better serve the life sciences market, with a number of new options and configurations designed to provide flexible and user-friendly solutions for entry level research applications.

The proven and trusted Infinite 200 PRO microplate reader has been engineered for excellence, and has so far featured in more than 1,800 peer reviewed articles around the world. Based on further customer feedback, it is now available in six application-focused configurations....

Tecan is helping to reduce waiting times for bulk sample identification with an innovative high speed barcode scanner for its Fluent® Laboratory Automation Solution.

The new Fluent ID* module eliminates the need to watch and wait while your liquid handling platform scans and identifies each individual sample tube, allowing 32 barcoded samples to be loaded and identified in just three seconds. The Fluent ID scanner is fitted with a status indicator light offering a clear pass/fail notification as soon as the tube rack is loaded onto the worktable....

Tecan’s updated Spark^® reader combines the benefits of a multimode microplate reader and a bright field imaging system in a compact package.

Unlike other multimode readers, Spark lets you actually see what’s happening to your cells, offering automated cell imaging, confluence measurements, cell counting and viability assessments to simplify cell biology protocols and enable long-term, walkaway experiments. Spark has been developed specifically to address the needs of cell-based workflows...

Tecan is simplifying handling of biological fluids with the introduction of a wide bore version of its popular 1,000 μl Liquid Handling Arm™ (LiHa) disposable tip.

Initially available for use with the Air LiHa™ air displacement pipetting option on Freedom EVO^® workstations, this new filtered tip has been developed to help alleviate some of the issues associated with handling complex liquids for applications such as biobanking and clinical diagnostics....

Tecan is making it quicker and easier than ever before for manufacturers to develop instruments for advanced liquid handling applications.

The launch of the new Cavro® Omni Flex further extends the flexibility and convenience of the company’s popular Cavro Omni Robot by offering more hardware options to complement its precision pipetting, including frames, worktables, power and input/output management, racks and all the pumps and other options required to perform liquid handling tasks....

Tecan has increased application flexibility and walkaway times for genomics workflows.

The launch of a new generation of 10 μl LiHa disposable tips will improve labware access on Fluent^® and Freedom EVO^® workstations, as well as offering more options for on-deck tip storage. The redesigned, 10 μl tips are 3.6 mm longer and have been developed to improve access to PCR plates and common 384-well microplate formats, helping to minimize dead volumes and waste of precious samples and reagents....

Tecan is making it easier than ever before to set up and miniaturize qPCR reactions.

Tecan and CellSpring, a biotech spin-out from ETH Zurich, have announced a co-marketing agreement to automate the 3D Bloom^® platform on a Freedom EVO^® workstation.

This latest collaboration will further extend Tecan’s automated 3D cell culture portfolio, allowing scientists to take advantage of a high throughput technology with an extended cell viability period of at least seven days in the assay matrix. The adaptive 3D Bloom Biopolymer Platform is compatible with all cell types and is ideal for...

Tecan has unveiled a novel solution to help laboratories meet the stringent requirements of regulatory authorities such as the FDA and the EMEA.

The new MultiCheck™ QC package for Spark® 10M and Spark 20M multimode readers comprises a reusable QC plate and accompanying data analysis software, and is designed to aid laboratories striving to fulfill increasingly strict regulatory demands including GLP, GMP, ISO 9001, ISO 13485 or Title 21 CFR Part 11. Enabling verification of the correct functionality of all major components and key measurement modes over...

The ARNA Laboratory in Bordeaux, France, is using DNA and RNA aptamers to develop novel tools for biological applications.

Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid are using directed evolution techniques to develop new enzymes for a variety of bioprocessing applications.

Taking advantage of the walkaway liquid handling capabilities of a Freedom EVO^® 75 workstation, the university’s Enzyme Biotechnology Group – headed by Dr Isabel de la Mata – has been able to investigate ~4,000 Rhodococcus mutants for penicillin acylase and N-acyl homoserine lactone acylase activity, conducting over 190,000 assays in the primary screen alone. Dr de la Mata explained: “We are interested in enzymes with...

The ARNA Laboratory in Bordeaux, France, is using DNA and RNA aptamers to develop novel tools for biological applications.

To increase throughput, the laboratory has automated its procedures on two Freedom EVO^® platforms, as Inserm Research Director Dr Jean-Jacques Toulmé explained: “Our association with Tecan began when we decided to automate our selection protocols to allow us to screen large libraries of oligonucleotides. We generally perform two selections in parallel, consisting of between 8 and 15 runs. With each run taking around...

Tecan has launched a fully automated affinity purification solution for the extraction of large biomolecules, such as proteins, antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.

This set-up takes advantage of the new Thermo Scientific™ MSIA™ Streptavidin EVO microcolumns, which have been specifically designed for use on Tecan’s proven Freedom EVO^® platform. In combination with the Freedom EVO workstation, this solution is ideal for high throughput applications in biopharmaceutical development, clinical research and anti-doping laboratories. Housed within a pipette tip, the...

Tecan has launched the Spark^® 20M multimode microplate reader, offering tailor-made solutions to suit virtually any drug discovery or advanced life science research application.

This freely configurable system gives researchers access to new techniques and features intended to enhance and streamline biochemical and cell-based workflows. At the heart of the instrument are Spark’s unique Fusion Optics and a powerful, high frequency xenon flash lamp, which can be combined with your choice of high performance detection modules to ensure a perfect match for your workflow. Options include an...

The Wine Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory at the University of Adelaide has developed a customized solution offering fully automated sampling for yeast fermentations.

Tecan’s innovative Spark 10M multimode reader can now be combined with the company’s Connect™ microplate stacker to offer semi-automated batch processing of up to 50 assay plates.

A newly developed software interface allows seamless operation of the Connect stacker through the reader’s SparkControl™ software, helping to streamline laboratory workflows for greater productivity. The Connect is a versatile microplate stacker designed to offer fast, smooth transfer of plates to and from the host instrument. Already popular with users of Tecan’s Infinite^® series microplate readers and HydroSpeed™ plate...

Phenomenex, Inc. and the Tecan Group (SIX Swiss Exchange: TECN) today announced a collaboration to co-market automated solid phase extraction (SPE) sample preparation solutions.

The two companies will jointly market Phenomenex Strata™ and Strata-X SPE sorbents adapted to Tecan’s Freedom EVO^® series of robotics workstations. The solution is especially geared to high-throughput customers in pharmaceutical research, clinical and food testing environments using mass spectrometry detection methods. As part of the global agreement, Tecan will provide the instruments and automation support, and Phenomenex will provide the extraction...

Tecan’s Infinite® M1000 PRO multimode reader has helped liquid analysis specialist Aqsens to develop a portable testing platform for on-site quantitative monitoring of polymeric scale inhibitors in oil field-produced waters.

Joonas Siivonen, Application Scientist at Aqsens, explained: “Polymeric scale inhibitors are used to prevent scale build-up during oil production, and the residual levels in the oil field-produced waters must be monitored to ensure treatment is effective and the oil platform can be operated safely. Using a patented detection technology combining time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) with chemical modulators, we have developed a portable system – the Aqsens QS platform – to offer a fast, accurate means of monitoring residual scale inhibitors on site.”....

The popular HP D300 Digital Dispenser – available from Tecan – now allows customers to titrate low volumes of biomolecules in aqueous solutions, offering greater flexibility for drug discovery workflows.

Application guide for Tecan plate washers offers an easy route to optimized results 

Melbourne-based Genera Biosystems has been testing a HydroSpeed™ plate washer with its Sirocco™ multiplexed diagnostics automation platform, allowing rapid, efficient washing of its proprietary AmpaSand™ beads.

Tecan has created a range of Cavro Disposable Tips for use with the Company’s popular Cavro brand OEM components.

This all-new platform is designed to offer greater flexibility and increased productivity for cell biology and genomics customers. From microbiology research and cell-based assays to rapid DNA quantification, the Spark 10M delivers a combination of advanced capabilities and exceptional ease-of-use to simplify your daily work.

Tecan will soon be launching a new Fluent™ Laboratory Automation Solution designed to offer greater throughput and flexibility for compound management workflows*.

Researchers at the National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, ISPRA) in Italy have been testing the TouchTools™ PCR Wizard with the Freedom EVO^® PCR workstation to simplify complex genetics workflows.

The Structure and Biophysics department at AstraZeneca R&D Mölndal, Sweden, is reaping the benefits of a recently acquired HP D300 Digital Dispenser for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies, saving time, enhancing consistency and using significantly less compound for dose-response experiments.

Principal Scientist Stefan Geschwindner explained: “The need for the HP D300 Digital Dispenser was largely driven by a demand for more effective SPR studies and increased flexibility. We already had an acoustic dispenser, but this was not ideal, as there are peaks and troughs in our work, and we needed an economical solution that could accommodate these changing demands. Tecan provided an instrument for us to try, and people immediately saw the benefits, realizing that the HP D300 could really change our way of working, helping to generate data more rapidly and shorten lead times.”

With clinical laboratories increasingly turning to high throughput LC-MSMS analysis, laboratory automation specialist Tecan and RECIPE Chemicals and Instruments GmbH, a leading manufacturer of IVD/CE diagnostic products, have announced a co-marketing agreement for automation of LC-MSMS IVD kits.

Visitors to Booth #1 at MSACL 2014 EU in Salzburg, Austria, from the 2^nd to the 5^th of September, had the opportunity to discover how Tecan’s flexible Freedom EVO^® platform offers walkaway automation of the RECIPE ClinMass^® LC-MSMS Complete Kits* for the analysis of vitamin D₂/D₃ and immunosuppressants. The automated process has the advantage of eliminating the potential for manual handling errors and increasing the speed of sample preparation three-fold compared to manual protocols, significantly improving turnaround times while enhancing reproducibility, traceability and sample security....

Tecan has introduced the Fluent™ laboratory automation solution, the latest addition to its world-class laboratory automation portfolio.

Tecan has extended the flexibility of its popular Cavro^® Omni Robot with the introduction of embedded control functions and the option to select single axis configurations.

Unveiled with the launch of the Cavro Omni Robot Version 4.0 at the AACC’s 2014 Clinical Lab Expo, these latest updates will make it even easier to configure the Cavro Omni Robot to suit specific applications or instrument designs. The robot’s new Embedded Command Processor Mode allows direct communication for precise control and coordination of axis movements and liquid handling operations. This OS-independent command schema allows...

Tecan has introduced an innovative new consumable device offering increased throughput and capacity for Freedom EVO^® workstations.

The patent pending Disposable Transfer Tool is designed for use with Tecan’s Nested LiHa disposable tips, and offers fully automated handling of empty tip trays without the need for a gripper. Nested LiHa disposable tips offer increased worktable capacity for tip storage, allowing five trays of 350 μl tips to be stacked on a single SLAS-format carrier position. Until now, this solution has only been available for instruments equipped with a...

Tecan has introduced a Dual Z arm for the popular Cavro^® Omni Robot.

Available with a broad choice of lengths, orientations and options for all three axes, the Cavro Omni Robot is designed to combine precision OEM liquid handling with straightforward integration, and the launch of the Dual Z option provides instrument designers with even greater flexibility. The Dual Z option offers two independent pipetting channels in a single housing, doubling the robot’s liquid handling capacity without having to...

GlaxoSmithKline’s quest for improved anti-malarial treatments has been revolutionized by the speed and reliability of the HP D300 Digital Dispenser.

The system – distributed by Tecan – has enabled scientists working at GSK’s Malaria Discovery Performance Unit (DPU) in Tres Cantos, Spain, to increase throughput for standard drug titrations and to test additional combinations of candidate compounds. Dr Laura Sanz, an investigator in the Malaria DPU’s Biochemistry and Parasitology Department, explained: “We have been working with the HP D300 since autumn 2012, and...

Tecan has launched a range of turnkey solutions designed to provide fast, simple and cost-effective automation of liquid handling tasks.

Based on the Freedom EVO^® 75 platform, these preconfigured systems are designed to eliminate tedious manual liquid handling tasks without the need for previous automation experience. Each Smart Automation solution is supplied with optimized, ready-to-run protocols, and includes all of the modules and ancillary devices necessary to automate your manual processes. The first Smart Automation solutions to be launched are...

Effective liquid level sensing is vital for many applications, helping to avoid erroneous results and reduce the risk of sample carry-over.

Tecan’s versatile Cavro^® Omni Robot now offers increased process security by allowing a combination of capacitive liquid level detection (cLLD) and pressure-based liquid level detection (pLLD) on a single platform. Designed to offer straightforward integration for precision liquid handling, the Cavro Omni Robot features built-in cLLD for up to eight pipetting channels, with programmable detection frequencies to avoid interference between channels....

The 2013 Jugend Innovativ competition saw Tecan collaborating with HLFS Ursprung and the Stiegl brewery to optimize the HybriScan™D Beer assay (Sigma-Aldrich) for the quality control of beer on an Infinite^® M200 PRO multimode reader.

Bernhard Stehrer, a science teacher at HLFS Ursprung, explained: “Students voluntarily participate in the prestigious Jugend Innovativ competition during their leisure time, and decided to investigate the science behind the quality control of beer. Stiegl provided samples for analysis and showed us the methods used in its laboratory, which involve assessment of cultures under a microscope. It can take a long time to acquire sufficient experience to confidently assess cultures this way, and we felt that molecular methods might be faster and easier to learn.”...

The demand for ever-increasing throughput means that many laboratories are looking for solutions to increase the capacity of their automated systems.

Tecan has created Nested LiHa Disposable Tips specifically to meet this need, allowing up to five racks of the new 350 μl tips to be stacked on a single SLAS-format carrier. This space-saving solution allows optimized use of deck space, minimizing the need for manual intervention and increasing walkaway time for Freedom EVO^® liquid handling workstations....

Tecan offers a wide range of laboratory automation solutions for mass spectrometry (MS) sample preparation, ensuring there is a system to meet your workflow and throughput needs.

From solid phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction to protein precipitation and straightforward ‘dilute and shoot’ methods, Tecan provides seamless automation of routine sample preparation applications, helping to alleviate major bottlenecks for many laboratories. Recent advances in MS instrumentation have led to an increasing number of laboratories choosing this technology for a wide range of applications. However, sample preparation techniques have not enjoyed the same rate of development, leading to processing bottlenecks and reducing overall productivity. Automation of routine sample preparation can alleviate these problems, reducing hands­-on time and increasing throughput...

Tecan’s revolutionary NanoQuant Plate™ offers precise, straightforward absorbance and fluorescence-based measurements from sample volumes as low as 2 μl.

Tecan has launched the TouchTools™ PCR Wizard, an easy-to-use Freedom EVOware^® add-on offering straightforward automation of PCR reaction set­­up on Freedom EVO^® platforms.

This new tool simplifies the set-up of applications – including end-point, real-time and multiplex PCR, sequencing, genotyping and gene expression, as well as pathogen and mutagenesis detection – helping to reduce training time and costs. The PCR Wizard’s effortless touchscreen operation and step-by-step instructions guide users through the set­­up process, allowing sample information to be entered manually, imported from a file or identified by barcode scanning. Users can quickly and easily optimize 96- and 384-well PCR plate layouts to meet specific workflow needs....

Scientists working at the Leibniz-Institute for Molecular Pharmacology are benefitting from MultiChannel Arm™ (MCA) 384

Scientists working at the Leibniz-Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin, Germany, are benefitting from the low volume pipetting capability of a MultiChannel Arm™ (MCA) 384 for siRNA and small molecule screening. Martin Neuenschwander, an automation scientist working in Dr Jens Peter von Kries’ Screening Unit at the FMP, explained: “We have been using laboratory automation for small molecule screens for several years, and have four Freedom EVO^® 200 platforms equipped with a variety of liquid handling arms...

Tecan has introduced a Cavro^® ADP (Air Displacement Pipettor) module for the popular Cavro Omni Robot.

Available with a broad choice of lengths, orientations and options for all three axes, the Cavro Omni Robot is designed to combine precision OEM liquid handling with straightforward integration, and the launch of the Cavro ADP option provides even greater flexibility in instrument design. The CavroADP provides an alternative to the existing liquid displacement pipetting for any application using the Cavro Omni Robot. Using pneumatic technology, this compact pipetting module has been integrated and optimized for use with the Cavro Omni Robot’s Universal Z arm, offering a number of additional benefits for OEM liquid handling....

Tecan has introduced a Cavro^® ADP (Air Displacement Pipettor) module for the popular Cavro Omni Robot.

Available with a broad choice of lengths, orientations and options for all three axes, the Cavro Omni Robot is designed to combine precision OEM liquid handling with straightforward integration, and the launch of the Cavro ADP option provides even greater flexibility in instrument design. The CavroADP provides an alternative to the existing liquid displacement pipetting for any application using the Cavro Omni Robot. Using pneumatic technology, this compact pipetting module has been integrated and optimized for use with the Cavro Omni Robot’s Universal Z arm, offering a number of additional benefits for OEM liquid handling...

The ease of integration of Tecan’s Cavro^® Air Displacement Pipettor

The ease of integration of Tecan’s Cavro^® Air Displacement Pipettor (ADP) has helped French microbiological instrument manufacturer i2a to develop PRELUD^®, anautomated pre-analytical instrument for the inoculation of culture plates and preparation of agar susceptibility tests. Project manager Michel Roch explained: “When we were developing PRELUD, the integration of a liquid handling system for streaking Petri dishes was essential....

The DNA Section of the Orange County Crime Laboratory (OCCL) in California, USA, has recently taken delivery of its first Air LiHa equipped Freedom EVO^® workstation for DNA quantitation and amplification reaction set-up.

Complementing the laboratory’s existing liquid displacement Freedom EVO platforms for DNA extraction, this new instrument will help to streamline the workflow and improve pipetting precision. Robert Binz, a Forensic Scientist at OCCL, explained: “We purchased our first Freedom EVO in 2010 to speed up DNA extraction....

Genia Geo, based in Montevideo, Uruguay, has chosen Tecan’s HID EVOlution™ system as part of its comprehensive forensic identification services for governments around the world.

This one-stop solution encompasses everything from designing and building laboratories to training crime scene investigators and judges, and revolves around Tecan and Life Technologies’ fully validated, walkaway set­up for robust genetic identification. Dr Carlos Azambuja, President of Genia Geo, explained: “Genia Geo was set up to provide government entities, such as Ministries of the Interior or of Justice, with everything necessary to implement a national system for DNA-based forensic identification...

Tecan’s newly launched AC Extraction Plate is a revolutionary, automation-friendly solution designed to streamline sample preparation for LC-MS analysis of small molecules.

The plate, which is based on proprietary TICE™ (Tecan Immobilized Coating Extraction) technology, reduces the sample preparation process to a convenient ‘pipette and shake’ routine. The AC Extraction Plate is a 96-position, deep-well microplate, with the inner surface of each well coated with a highly controlled layer of TICE material. This coating efficiently extracts low molecular weight analytes – such as vitamin D and testosterone – from aqueous solutions, eliminating the need for the laborious and time-consuming filtration, centrifugation and evaporation steps that are often integral to other methods....

A Freedom EVO^® workstation with an integrated HydroSpeed™ plate washer and Infinite^® F200 PRO multimode reader is helping researchers at Jikei University School of Medicine to perform high throughput compound screening in the battle to combat persistent bacterial infections.

Dr Ken-­ichi Okuda, Assistant Professor in the Department of Bacteriology at Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, explained: “Bacteria within biofilms have a low susceptibility to the immune system and antibiotics, which means that infection is more difficult to eradicate in many cases. Our objective is to find compounds that prevent formation of the biofilms, and then to analyze the detailed composition of the molecular interactions of these compounds with the bacteria.”...

Tecan’s Infinite^® M200 PRO microplate reader is helping researchers at the University of Salzburg, Austria, to monitor cell growth of microaerophilic bacteria.

Univ-Prof Dr Silja Wessler, Professor in Microbiology, explained: “We research a wide range of cellular signal transduction pathways initiated by the interaction of host cells with pathogens like Helicobacter pylori, and were approached to beta test the new Gas Control Module (GCM™) for the Infinite M200 PRO. The instrument’s potential was soon very clear, and we bought a system almost straightaway. We use a variety of techniques for our work, including culturing of microaerophilic organisms, immunofluorescence, cytokine ELISAs, reporter gene assays and cell migration assays and, because the Tecan reader is so flexible, we can use it for virtually all of our experiments...

German company LCTech GmbH, a supplier of products and methods for sample preparation and analysis, has been using Tecan Cavro^® components for many years and has incorporated a Cavro Omni Robot and Cavro XLP Pump into its latest FREESTYLE sample preparation workstation.

Dr Uwe Aulwurm, a Managing Director of LCTech, explained: “To meet the varied workflow demands of our customers, we wanted a modular solution that combined a general purpose liquid handling system with a range of different processing devices, including options for solid phase extraction, gel permeation chromatography and evaporation. The Cavro Omni Robot was perfectly suited to our needs, providing a very robust instrument which could be easily modified to access individual processing modules...

Legionnaires’ Disease has recently been in the headlines due to a number of serious outbreaks around the world.

Researchers at the Ensminger Lab, part of the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, Canada, are using Tecan’s Infinite^® M200 PRO plate reader and Gas Control Module (GCM™) to study host-pathogen interactions for Legionella bacteria. Alex Ensminger discussed the laboratory’s approach to studying this potentially deadly pathogen: “Legionella pneumophila normally grows inside amoebae and protozoa, and we need to understand how these pathogens interact with both their natural hosts and patients’ lungs. A key part of this research is to monitor bacterial growth under stable conditions, which is a very labor?intensive process when performed manually.”

A novel solution for analyzing 3D cell cultures, based on Tecan’s Infinite^® M200 PRO and InSphero’s 3D InSight™ microtissue technology, is helping to reduce the cost of early phase drug development.

Dr Jens M Kelm, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of InSphero, explained: “Although classical 2D cell culture techniques are still widely used throughout the pharmaceutical industry, their limitations are becoming increasingly apparent. The efficacy of a candidate drug depends on a number of factors, including the physical and chemical environments in vivo, drug penetration and clearance rates. 2D cell cultures do not accurately reflect how all of these factors will affect drug behavior in vivo; 3D cell culturing techniques offer greater biological relevance for drug screening...

Scientists at F Cubed have developed a novel molecular analyzer which relies on Tecan’s Cavro^® Centris Pump and Cavro Smart Valve to offer straightforward identification of pathogens in a matter of minutes.

The NESDEP IU Molecular Diagnostic System is designed to detect a wide range of pathogens, offering femtomolar specificity from ultra­small sample sizes. F Cubed technical manager Chris Chanelli explained: “The NESDEP analyzer is an integrated unit that enables the user to perform sample preparation and DNA analysis on a biochip. Accurate, precise control of liquid dispensing is required, and this was one of the reasons we chose the Cavro Centris Pump and Cavro Smart Valve.”...

BioSentinel has selected Tecan’s Infinite^® F500 as the reader of choice for its high sensitivity botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) assays.

Tecan’s Infinite^® M200 PRO multimode microplate readers are helping McMaster University to introduce chemical biology undergraduates to some of the most advanced techniques routinely used in today’s laboratories

Researchers at The Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, have invested in an HS 4800™ Pro automated hybridization station and two PowerScanner™ units from Tecan for processing protein microarrays

Dr Joshua LaBaer, Director of the Center, explained: “We have adopted a unique approach to functional proteomics which involves printing the gene for the proteins on the slide and adding a cell-free extract that synthesizes the proteins in situ. The proteins are made literally an hour before we test them.” Dr LaBaer continued: “These instruments, our newest pieces of Tecan equipment, are real workhorses. The HS 4800 Pro runs by itself overnight and allows us to produce proteins in situ on the glass, wash them off, and even incubate them with samples, all in a single run, without any manual intervention at all...

Scientists at the University of Toronto, Canada, have chosen generations of Tecan microplate readers to monitor the effects of environmental or drug perturbation on molecularly barcoded yeasts

Tecan and IBBL (Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg) have successfully co-developed an automated platform for buffy coat extraction based on a Freedom EVO^® 200workstation, relieving scientific staff from performing this time-consuming task, and significantly increasing the yield of DNA

Tecan recently hosted the fifth annual Tecan Symposium in the picturesque surroundings of Boston, Massachusetts, visiting the US for the first time

Tecan and Promega have developed a turnkey workstation for fully automated extraction of gDNA from whole blood samples

Tecan and Siloam Biosciences Inc. announce their intent to co-market a new automated low volume, high sensitivity microfluidic ELISA

Tecan and TAP Biosystems, a leading supplier of innovative cell culture systems, have announced a co¬-marketing agreement to further expand the automated 3D cell culture capabilities of the Freedom EVO® liquid handling platform

Tecan has launched the QC Kit, a total solution for liquid handling performance verification testing on Freedom EVO^® workstations