New Products

Liquid Handling

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.

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

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

new Products

Pipettes

The Eppendorf epMotion 96 is an easy to use bench top system for high precision pipetting in 96- and 384-well or deep-well plates within life science research, pharmaceutical and industry laboratories. Overcoming the limits of manual multichannel pipetting, it allows easy, rapid handling with high precision and accuracy compared to multichannel manual pipettes. Moreover, thanks to its ability to dispense into all 96 wells at the same time, users can simultaneously start or stop a biological assay for all wells in a plate. An added feature is its a large volume range, between 0.5 and 300μL, using only one head or system so there is no need to switch pipette heads or employ a second device to achieve all volumes. Workflows benefiting from the epMotion 96 include but are not limited to: solid phase extraction, DNA extractions from blood and tissue, sequencing and PCR clean-up, total RNA isolation, NGS library preparation, distributing reagents and serial dilutions, media change, other cell culture applications and more. Web: www.eppendorf.com.

Liquid Handling

The BrandTech® Scientific Liquid Handling Station (LHS) pipetting robot reduces repetitive manual pipetting and increases laboratory efficiency and reproducibility through automation. An extremely compact benchtop instrument, it has seven working positions and five available liquid ends with single channel volumes up to 1000μL and multichannel volumes up to 300μL. With a wide variety of accessories, this flexible system moves liquids between reservoirs, tubes and plates; and is ideal for plate reformatting, ELISA and PCR setup, cherry picking, etc. Web: www.brandtech.com.

Mixers

MilliporeSigma’s Mobius® Power MIX single-use mixing systems are engineered with advanced technology to effectively handle difficult-to-mix buffers, culture media powders and other pharmaceutical ingredients. The system achieves a strong vortex using an impeller design and motor based on magneticallycoupled NovAseptic® technology-a proven mixing technology in stainless steel tanks. Sterile zero deadleg sampling can be performed directly from the mixing container. A probe port allows for insertion of either a reusable probe for nonaseptic processes or a pre-sterilized, single-use sensor for in-process pH measurement of aseptic processes. The 100, 200 and 500 litre models are available in both jacketed stainless steel and high-density polyethylene HDPE, providing the flexibility needed for both buffers and media mixing. Innovative design features make the mixing system easy to use, enabling loading of bags by a single person and offering an optional integrated hoist for powder delivery (2000 L only). Web: emdmillipore.com/powermix

Hot Plates

Torrey Pines Scientific introduces its EchoTherm™ Programmable Corrosion Resistant Digital Stirring Hot Plates for use with aggressive chemicals in environments where other stirring hot plates would be quickly destroyed by vapors or spills. The hot plates are designed to be purged using an inert gas through a fitting on the rear of the chassis. Purging provides a positive pressure inside the unit to prevent corrosive gasses from entering the chassis and attacking the electronics or stirring mechanism. These units feature 10-program memory with 10 steps per program, temperature ramping, RS232 I/O port, membrane keyboard, and full function liquid crystal display where all parameters are continuously visible. Heater tops are 8″ square solid ceramic with 600 watts of power. Temperatures can be set to 450°C. The units are readable and settable to 1°C. Temperature control is by PID software and is controlled to ±1°C or ±1ºF. Stirrer speeds can be set from 100 to 1500 rpm. Temperature ramping can be set from 1ºC/hour to 450ºC/hour in 1ºC increments. The built-in timer is settable to 99 hours and is readable to 1 second. It has an audible alarm with user settable auto-off for turning off the heater and stirrer when the timer counts down to zero. The units are supplied with a 6” Teflon immersion probe for controlling solution temperatures directly. All units are available in 100, 115, and 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz models. Web: www.torreypinesscientific.com.

Imaging solutions

Web: www.andor.com/ixon

Andor Technology (Andor), an Oxford Instruments company, has released its ultrasensitive iXon Life Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) camera platform for fluorescence microscopy. The iXon Life is available in 1024 x 1024 and 512 x 512 sensor formats, back-illuminated to deliver the highest and broadest QE of any microscopy camera and deep cooled down to -80°C for minimal darkcurrent. It’s suitable for single molecule biophysics and low-light live cell microscopy.

Mass Spectrometry

Mass Spec Analytical is now shipping its Thermal Extraction Ion Source Sciex™ 3200 Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer and other V-Series models to customers. The Mass Spec TEIS-3200 is ideal for applications where the method requires a large quantity of sample measurements in a relatively short period of time or where automation is required. When coupled with Mass Spec Analytical’s analysis software, results can be provided in as little as 4 seconds. The TEIS-3200 uses a patented thermal extraction sample introduction device. Compounds amenable to thermal desorption, such as many pesticides, drugs and explosives, can be rapidly analysed in this way without the need for any sample pre-treatment, solvents or glassware. Web: www.msaltd.co.uk