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Laboratory Focus February/March 2017
Liquid Handling
New Products Pipettes Hamilton Company has expanded its pipetting family with the introduction of the ZEUS LT OEM pipetting module. Like the original ZEUS® module, the ZEUS LT is an ideal complement to analytical instruments and clinical diagnostic systems. Unlike the original pipetting module, the ZEUS LT does not come with an integrated z-axis, but rather offers the option for integrators to custom design the z-axis. More than a simple pipette module, it also incorporates Hamilton’s intelligent air displacement pipetting technology including; Qualitative Pipette Monitoring™ (QPM) for monitoring clogged tips or foam aspiration, Anti-Droplet Control (ADC™) for pipetting of volatile liquids, capacitive and pressure based level detection, tip detection and liquid class definitions. Easy mounting hardware enables attachment to an existing XYZ system, or development of an application-specific z-axis to accommodate space constraints or other design considerations.
Web: www.hamiltoncompany.com Beckman Coulter Life Sciences introduces its Biomek i-Series Automated Workstations, the first major additions to the company’s family of liquid handling platforms in more than 13 years. The new i-Series enables a broader range of solutions for genomics, pharmaceutical, and academic customers. Notable features and accessories include an exterior status light bar that simplifies a user’s ability to monitor progress during operation, a Biomek light curtain that provides a key safety feature during operation and method development, and an internal LED light that improves visibility during manual intervention and method start-up. Additionally, an off-set, rotating gripper optimizes access to high-density decks leading to more efficient workflows. Further, the workstations large-volume, 1 mL multichannel pipetting head streamlines sample transfers and enables more efficient mixing steps. The workstation’s open-platform design also offers users access from all sides, making it easy to integrate adjacent-to-deck, and offdeck processing elements (such as analytical devices, external storage/ incubation units, and labware feeders).
Web: www.biomek.beckman.com
Spectrometry IRsweep announces the release of the IRspectrometer, a table-top frequency dualcomb spectrometer that provides microsecond time resolution, large spectral bandwidth and high spectral resolution. The IRspectrometer can be used in a variety of applications, including biological sample and chemical composition analysis. The device excels where fast time resolution or high throughput and superior brightness is required — including applications that involve a complex background matrix or where multiple similar molecules must be simultaneously quantified. Unique features of the IRspectrometer include: fast time resolution (as low as 1 µs for a full spectrum), the ability to monitor high-throughput applications without relying on techniques like step-scan in FT-IRs and brightness advantages that significantly ease sample preparation for liquid and solid analytes. The device also delivers microsecond resolution at high bandwidths, with center wavelengths between 6 µm (1700 cm-1) and 9.5 µm (1050 cm-1), covering fundamental amid absorption bands, are available.
Web: http://irsweep.com.
Cell Culture Irvine Scientific, a provider of cell culture media, introduces PRIME-XV® T Cell CDM, a chemically-defined, animal component-free medium for T cell culture. The new medium has been developed to maximize consistent growth of T cells while maintaining their functionality and therapeutic potential. An increasingly important trend in cell culture media for gene therapies and immunotherapies is the move away from animal-derived and undefined components to serum and animal component-free, chemicallydefined culture conditions. When working with T cells the advantage of this is two-fold: animal-derived components are variable between lots; and the naturally occurring cytokines and growth factors in them can result in undesirable effects. For example, cytokines and growth factors have been shown to impact growth, phenotype and the potential of T cells to polarize into therapeutic subtypes. PRIME-XV T Cell CDM removes this variability to provide more consistency between lots.
Web: www.irvinesci.com
Sample Handling EcoTensil® disposable paper sampling spoons by Bel-Art® are made of a coated paperboard that stands up to powders, gels and semi-solids. Suitable for any laboratory or testing facility, the spoons are easily stored flatly and in one simple step fold into a functional spoon for sampling and retrieving materials. They are also compostable and recyclable.
Web: www.belart.com/EcoTensilSample
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