ISSN 1660-5276
Tecan Journal English Edition 2/2004 - June 2004
Reporter Gene Assay in Ustilago maydis Page 4
Automated Generation of Cell Lines Page 9
Automated NMR Screening to Find Lead Compounds Page 6 www.tecan.com
Editorial
Contents
Tecan Supports your Daily Work
Global News Tecan Supports Investigation of Crimes with Large Scale Automated DNA Typing System
Dear Customer
Page 3
The success of Tecan’s products is based on almost 25 years of experience in liquid handling, automation and detection. To make these core competencies more accessible to you, we recently adapted our management
Genomics
structure. Through the new organisation, customer
Reporter Gene Assay in Ustilago maydis
needs and regulatory compliance are now addressed on
Page 4
a more global level. This means you will profit from an improved range of products and services in the future. At the same time we will continue to offer the advantage
Proteomics Automated NMR Screening to Find Lead Compounds
of immediate access to qualified sales and support experts in your vicinity at your local Tecan office – a service which was always highly valued by our customers. This edition of the Tecan Journal contains the usual articles on interesting
Page 6
applications. On page 4 you will find an article on the contribution of the Safire monochromator detection reader to research aiming at a better understanding
Drug Discovery Automated Generation of Cell Lines
of the interaction between plants and pathogenic fungi, which will in the long run lead to improved methods for the control of plant diseases. On page 6, we describe an automated application for the preparation of samples before analysis by NMR. Thanks to the advances in automation technology, the use
Page 9
of NMR based methods for compound screening in drug discovery is on the increase. Therefore, this article is also a good demonstration of how Tecan contributes to the
New Products Fast and Reliable Automated Microplate Processing – Freedom EVOlyzer
Page 12 Tecan Plus Take Advantage of Tecan’s Helpdesk Service
progress of modern medicine. Cell based assays play an increasingly important role in the secondary screening part of the drug discovery process. The article on page 9 describes the automation of a cell line generation method. According to the growing demand, Tecan will continue to expand its range of products and services for the automation of cell related methods. If you are interested in learning more about Tecan and the people standing behind the products that support your daily work, you may be interested to watch our new corporate video. Please see page 14, for further details.
Page 13
Yours faithfully,
Events Preview on Conferences and Trade Shows 2004
Page 14 Aitor Galdos
Local News
CEO Tecan Group Ltd.
Driving Innovation – Tecan Demonstrates New Products at International Exhibitions
Page 15
Tecan Journal 2/2004
2
www.tecan.com
Global News
Tecan Supports Investigation of Crimes with Large Scale Automated DNA Typing System Tecan signs agreement with South African Police Service to provide a fully automated DNA typing system for national forensic databank
Keith Morris (SAPS, left) and Martin von Lueder during the signing ceremony of the contract for the automated DNA typing system in South Africa. This project is an excellent demonstration of Tecan’s unique experience in automation of genomic applications and in integrating large scale laboratory systems.
Tecan has signed an agreement with the
Tecan’s solution, which is based on its
Christo Weitz, Senior Superintendent of the
South African Police Service to supply, install
large-scale TRAC3 system, will permit fully
South African Police Service Forensic Science
and provide customer support for its fully
automated DNA typing from blood and
Laboratory commented: “We are extremely
automated forensic DNA typing system.
other body fluid or from tissue samples
pleased to have the support of the European
Tecan’s experience in automating genomics
collected at the scene of a crime. In terms
Union and Tecan in this far-reaching project
applications will play a central role in the
of size and throughput, the proposed
to improve the level of service that our facility
operation of South Africa’s national forensic
installation for the South African Police
is able to offer the people of South Africa.
DNA databank. The ¤8.35-million contract
Service is probably unrivalled by any similar
Undertakings of this sort protect civil liberties
was secured by Tecan’s German subsidiary
systems currently in operation.
and help to ensure the operation and further
after an open invitation for international bids. The project is financed by a European Union initiative to assist reconstruction and development in South Africa.1
Martin von Lueder, President of Tecan
development of a judicious legal system.”
Europe, remarked “Tecan’s extensive experience in automating a wide range of genomic applications, including those
The South African national forensic databank
supporting the forensic sciences, was a key
contains DNA samples that may be analyzed
factor in our successful bid for this project.
by electrophoresis to create DNA profiles.
Our proven ability to develop and implement
1
Such methods have revolutionized forensic
powerful customer solutions combined with
development in the Republic of South Africa,
science by enabling drastic improvements in
our strengths in customer support and large-
Robotic automation of the crime index of the
the identification of individuals whose
scale automation projects clearly
DNA criminal intelligence database, Financial
samples are included in suspect databanks.
differentiated our solution from the proposals
agreement no. SA/99/73200/024.
The government of the United States alone
of our competitors.” He added: “The South
2
plans annual investments of $60 million over
African project is one of the first nationwide
Ashcroft given to the American Academy of
the next five years to increase the capacity for
DNA forensic programs to be introduced in a
Forensic Sciences, February 2004.
DNA identification of state and local crime labs.2
non-academic setting.”
3 Tecan
Tecan Journal 2/2004
European program for reconstruction and
Statement from US Attorney General John
Robotic Assay Composer.
3
www.tecan.com
Genomics
Reporter Gene Assay in Ustilago maydis Established by Dr. Florian Kaffarnik and Dr. Michael Feldbr端gge, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
Dr. Florian Kaffarnik with The power of the monochromator based detection is now available in the recently introduced Safire 2.
the Safire microplate reader.
Ustilago maydis, a pathogen causing plant tumors
analysis was performed using green
Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of
Development of an assay for examination of signalling mechanisms
maize smut disease, is a widely distributed
Haploid sporidia are cultivated in growing
been used to show whether pheromone
plant pathogen. Although economical
medium and can easily be transformed by
responsive elements (PREs) are necessary
damages caused by this fungus are relatively
homologous recombination. Mating type
and sufficient for the cAMP-mediated gene
small, it serves as a model organism for
genes of the a-locus code for a
expression.
fungal plant pathogens. For sexual
pheromone/pheromone receptor system.
development infection of a host plant is
Pheromone of one mating type binds to the
essential. This infection requires fusion of
cognate receptor of the other mating type.
Recombinant U. maydis cells, harboring
haploid sporidia of different mating types
Binding leads to a morphological change
appropriate promoter GFP constructs, were
on the plant surface. The resulting dikaryon
from yeast-like to filamentous growth and
treated for 6 hours with artificial pheromone
grow filamentously and infects the plant.
formation of conjugation hyphe.
or 18 hours with cAMP-containing media.
The mating types of Ustilago maydis are
Additionally, expression of the a-genes is
After treatment cells were transferred to a
determined by two gene loci, a and b. The
induced. Central regulator of these early
microplate and GFP fluorescence and optical
biallelic a-locus is responsible for recognition
events during mating is the transcription
density were directly measured using a
and fusion of the cells, whereas the b-locus
factor Prf1. Activity of Prf1 is controlled by
Safire microplate reader. Fluorescence served
controls filamentous growth. In the plant
a MAP kinase cascade. The research group
as a measure for the amount of GFP in the
massive proliferation of fungal material
at the Max-Planck-Institute investigated
cells and therefore for the activity of the
occurs and consequently tumors are formed.
the possibility of other signal transduction
corresponding promoter. In addition, it was
At the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial
pathways being involved in signalling after
necessary to determine absorbance at
Microbiology a group of seven research
pheromone recognition, because there were
600 nm (OD600), because fluorescence
scientists works on fundamental mechanisms
hints that cyclic AMP (cAMP) might play
intensity depends on the density of the cell
involved in signal transduction processes
a role. To answer that question, promoter
culture. Hence, fluorescence was normalized
fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter gene. As promoters, 4 different constructs have
Experimental design
during mating in Ustilago maydis. Tecan Journal 2/2004
4
www.tecan.com
Genomics
Life cycle of Ustilago maydis.
Picture of tumor on maize plant.
to the optical density. For exact measurement
to measure the fluorescence of the cells.
of GFP fluorescence it was furthermore
For the frequently changing wavelengths
important to adapt the excitation and
Safire utilizes specially designed fast-
emission wavelength, because the cells
scanning double-monochromators for
exhibited autofluorescence in the range of the
highest sensitivity making the use of
excitation and emission wavelength of GFP.
optical filters for changing wavelengths
Thus, for this experiment the use of a monochromator-based detection system was crucial, allowing the measurement of the OD600 as well as the quantification of GFP-fluorescence. The system also required
in fluorescence and absorbance obsolete. While filter-based systems require filters for each new wavelength, Safire has all wavelengths on board making it effortless to tune the system according to the assay.
a very high sensitivity to also detect small differences in the expression of GFP. Tecan’s Safire also allowed the fast measurement of many samples in 96-well microplates, resulting in a high throughput to obtain statistically significant data in a time efficient way.
Flexible system with high sensitivity
Tecan’s Safire monochromator-based microplate reader – an ideal solution For more information on the experiments
The use of Tecan’s Safire, a monochromator-
please refer to The EMBO Journal, Vol 22,
based microplate reader, allows the necessary
No. 21, pp 5817-5826, 2003.
wavelength alterations and is sensitive enough
Tecan Journal 2/2004
5
www.tecan.com
Proteomics
Automated NMR Screening to Find Lead Compounds Rutger Folmer, Structural Chemistry Laboratory, AstraZeneca R&D, Mölndal, Sweden
Figure 2: Automation of NMR-based screening Figure 1: The system is based on two Tecan sample preparation platforms, a Genesis 100
technologies has enormously increased the
(not shown) and a Genesis 150, both connected with 600MHz NMR instruments through
importance of this technique in industrial
SampleRail systems.
drug research.
Introduction
projects world-wide and interacts mainly
between the test compound and the
Automated NMR-based screening
with medicinal chemistry groups in order to
inhibitor (Figure 5).
technologies are now available and proving
help focus chemistry development towards
to be an increasingly important tool for drug
molecules that show higher affinity to drug
discovery. The use of NMR for screening
target proteins. Besides helping chemists to
chemical libraries to find lead compounds
understand and optimize the interactions
has a number of advantages. Specific
between their lead compounds and target
knowledge of the target function is not
molecules, the NMR group is also involved in
required, and neither is the development
lead generation programs. This includes the
of a target-specific assay. Therefore, this
screening of relatively large libraries of drug
universal technique for the detection of inter-
fragments to find molecules with affinity to
molecular interactions can be applied to
any protein of interest.
drug discovery programs with very little
At the beginning of the screen, the empty NMR tubes sit in spinners (holders) mounted on the Genesis workbench. After pipetting 500 µl of buffer into the tubes, one or several compounds of interest are added (up to 12 can be pooled in one tube). Then the spinner is picked up by the Robotic Manipulator Arm (RoMa) (Figure 4) and moved to a trolley, which is mounted on the SampleRail. This trolley moves the sample to the NMR spectrometer and places it into the magnet
method development. NMR is extremely
NMR screening process
for data acquisition. When data has been
sensitive for weak interactions (down to
The system (Figures 1, 2 and 3) is based on
acquired the sample is moved back to the
millimolar range) and can provide detailed
two Tecan sample preparation platforms,
Genesis and put into its original position.
structural information on the ligand-binding
a Genesis 100 and a Genesis 150, both
For the screening of molecular interactions
mode. NMR screening directly measures the
connected with 600MHz NMR instruments
a small amount of protein is added to the
interaction between the ligand and the
through SampleRail systems (Bruker BioSpin
test compounds and the sample is measured
target, thereby minimizing false positives.
AG). In a typical experiment to study
again in the spectrometer. In a third step, a
molecular interactions, data are acquired
small amount of an established inhibitor is
three times: at first only the test compound
added to the protein-compound mixture and
is measured, then the compound together
the sample is measured once more. When
with the target to analyze molecular
working with oxidation-sensitive proteins
interactions. In the last step an established
Argon gas is dispensed onto the top of the
inhibitor is added to measure competition
sample after each pipetting step.
The Structural Chemistry Laboratory in Mölndal, Sweden, is one of AstraZeneca’s competence centers and serves the entire AstraZeneca R&D community for information on structural chemistry. The laboratory is involved in pre-clinical drug discovery
Tecan Journal 2/2004
6
www.tecan.com
Proteomics
Figure 3: The automated NMR system at the Structural Chemistry Laboratory of AstraZeneca in Mölndal, Sweden.
A total of three pipetting needles are used
This is a very important feature as many
error prone task. With the fully automated
for the entire process, all mounted on the
proteins become quite unstable under the
system in place, researchers can accomplish
Liquid Handling Arm (LiHa) of the Tecan
conditions in which they are measured.
other more challenging and rewarding tasks
Genesis platform: One needle connected to
Prior to using the automated system,
than pipetting.
a 1 ml syringe for pipetting the protein and
a larger number of samples had to be
buffer, a needle with low-volume option and
prepared in one step in order to get the
Conclusion
250 µl syringe for the compounds, and a
desired throughput, which had a significant
Automation of the well-established NMR-
third needle for dispensing the Argon gas.
influence on the quality of the measurement.
based screening has enormously increased
A special carrier is provided to keep the
With the Genesis-SampleRail system,
the importance of this technique in
protein cooled at 4°C to increase its stability.
samples can be measured 24 hours
industrial drug research. Today NMR
a day immediately after they are prepared,
screening is applied in many areas such
Advantages of automation
which significantly increases both throughput
as macromolecular interactions, fragment-
When comparing the automated system
and quality. Certainly, the system also
based drug design and the analysis of drug
with the conventional manual screen the
prevents pipetting errors, one of the most
metabolism. The technique constantly
advantages of automation are obvious.
likely errors when manually pipetting
benefits from novel applications of well-
Instead of preparing each sample manually
compounds from 384-well plates.
established methods as well as from new
the automated system can prepare NMR
Previously, the Structural Chemistry
emerging innovations in NMR research.
samples “on the fly”. The Genesis system is
Laboratory at AstraZeneca used a less
By eliminating error prone manual tasks
linked to a software program (NMR-MCP),
comprehensive system without the liquid
and increasing speed and throughput of
which in turn communicates with Bruker’s
handling options. Although the NMR was
the method, automated solutions, as in
software packages, controlling the
able to process samples 24 hours a day, all
many other research fields, have brought
SampleRail and the data acquisition in
pipetting steps were performed manually
a big boost to the role of NMR screening
the NMR spectrometer. Connecting all the
and this limited the measurements largely
techniques in the research process of the
components of the system allows samples to
to normal working hours. Besides the time
pharmaceutical industry.
be prepared just in time for data acquisition.
limit for preparing samples it was also an
Tecan Journal 2/2004
7
www.tecan.com
Proteomics
Automated NMR-screening for effective drug development
Figure 4: The spinner is picked up by the Robotic Manipulator Arm and moved to a trolley, which is mounted on the SampleRail. This trolley moves the sample to the NMR spectrometer and places it into the magnet for data acquisition.
Figure 5: NMR is extremely sensitive for weak interactions (down to millimolar range) and provides detailed structural information on the ligand-binding mode.
Tecan Journal 2/2004
8
www.tecan.com
Drug Discovery
Automated Generation of Cell Lines Dr. Eward Pap and Dr. Silke Grueneberg, Aventis Pharma Deutschland GmbH, LG High Throughput Screening, Frankfurt am Main
Figure 1: With the open concept of the Tecan robotic platforms, several modules and third party devices can be combined to a fully automated cell line generation system.
Introduction Cell lines play a key role in the process of drug discovery wherein stably transfected
Laminar flow cabinet Liconic StoreX 200™ robotic incubator
(e.g. GPCRs, ion channels, nuclear receptors) or can fulfill the function of an in vitro model for tissues or organs. By investigating the
Cells are gently mixed by pipetting and the resulting cell suspension is transferred to
cells work as a system to (over-) express functional proteins under native conditions
2-5 min before fresh medium is added.
Microscope: High precision motorized-focus with a motorized X-Y stage for moving 384 plates from well to well
the daughter plates. Several copies of that plate are made, each with a different volume of cell suspension resulting in plates with various cell densities. In a final step the wells
behavior of living cells following treatment
Chemicals and accessories
are filled with fresh medium and the cells can
with drugs, highly valuable insight can be
Transfecting reagent, FuGENE 6®
be cultivated under appropriate conditions.
generated to predict the interaction and
Transfecting system (Roche)
specific effect of drugs on the expressed
Cells: Hamster or human cells
protein. Advanced analysis technologies such
Identification of transfected cells Cell inspection and single cell colony
as kinetic methods or reporter assays are
Transfection
identification is made by an automated
used to measure the reaction of a cell under
Fresh cells are positioned onto the Genesis
microscope that incorporates a high precision
these different experimental conditions.
worktable where the transfection is performed
motorized-focus and a motorized X-Y stage
This article presents a procedure that releases
according to the supplier’s recommendations
for automated image capture of all wells of
the user from almost all repetitive tasks by
using the Liquid Handling Arm (LiHa).
a 384-well plate.
generating cell lines automatically using a
After transfection and antibiotic selection
The image processing software calculates
Tecan Genesis Workstation system.
the transfected cells are diluted to single
the number and growth rate of cell colonies
cells into 384 plates (Fig 2).
per well represented in a list (Fig 3), which is
Material and methods
After growing the single cells to colonies the
converted into a worklist for Gemini.
Instruments
Te-MO prepares several plate copies with
Cells of a certain well are picked and collected
Tecan Genesis Workstation 200/8 with
different cell numbers from these 384 plates
in a new mother plate at a defined position
Te-MO 96: 500 µl syringes, standard volume
by detaching the cells with trypsin.
using the LiHa. Detaching and suspension
tips, standard wash station, fast wash pump,
The medium is completely removed and the
procedures are as described above.
Te-MO 96 (Fig 6). Te-Stack for Te-MO
cells are washed once with the appropriate
disposable tips.
amount of PBS. After that trypsin is added immediately and the cells are incubated for
Tecan Journal 2/2004
9
www.tecan.com
Drug Discovery
Figure 3: Detection of successfully transfected cells in a 384 well plate. The microscope creates a Figure 2: Schematic workflow of the cell
list, which is converted into a Gemini worklist to pick cells from the mother plate into a new
generation process.
daughter plate.
Cell maintenance
Results
Cell maintenance with StoreX and Te-MO
Incubation of cells takes place in either 96
Transfection: By choosing the appropriate
on a Genesis Workstation (Fig 5): The cell
or 384 well plates in a Liconics StoreX 200
system and protocols transfection can be
maintenance procedure allows medium
system at 37째C and approx. 95% humidity.
performed using the LiHa. The transfection
exchange every 3 days. The use of the Te-MO
After three days the medium is exchanged
efficiency is similar to manually performed
with a sterile filter disposable tip (diti) and
using the following procedure: The robotic
protocols (Fig 4).
a slow aspirate and dispense speed enables
manipulator of the Genesis Workstation places the plate from the StoreX onto the Te-MO. The old medium is completely removed and fresh medium is added immediately. This process must be performed quickly without letting the cells become dry.
Cherry picking with LiHa: Using the fully automated microscope, cell colonies can be identified and a list of their well positions in the 384-well can be prepared. This list is converted into a worklist for Gemini/FACTS, which is the control software of the Tecan
The media can be purchased ready to use
Genesis Workstation 200/8. The LiHa
with all ingredients included or can be
performs cherry picking of the colonies
prepared freshly by adding further components
according to the worklist and collects the
on the Workstation. Media and plates without
cells into new mother plates. By these steps,
lids must be handled under sterile conditions.
new mother plates of cell lines are prepared.
the medium in 384-well to be exchanged in less than 60 seconds. The Te-Stack fed with up to 12 racks provides the system with new ditis. New daughter plates can be created if required for further purposes.
Discussion Recently, the generation of cell lines has become a standardized process due to the use of commercially available, validated transfection methods. Furthermore, the handling of a large number of cell clones treated with the same
Therefore the complete workstation is
protocol and under identical conditions makes
housed within a laminar flow cabinet.
cell line generation highly suitable for automation. Tecan Journal 2/2004
10
www.tecan.com
Drug Discovery
Figure 5: The direct integration of the Liconic StoreX 200 robotic incubator to the Genesis Figure 4: Successfully transfected human embryonic kidney cells 293 express a green fluorescence.
enables automated cell maintenance processes.
The automated approach relieves the user from repetitive tasks
Figure 6: Fully automated generation of stable cell lines and cell maintenance with Te-MO.
The application described here represents an automated approach for cell line generation.
Comparison of automated and traditional cell line generation processes Existing process
It includes the automated transfection, antibiotic selection and cell maintenance
Transfection
Manual
Automated by LiHa or, optionally, manual
of the successfully transfected cells on a compact Tecan Workstation system.
New automated process
Antibiotic selection
Manual
Limited dilution into 384-well
Semiautomated with dispenser
Automated by LiHa
Due to the open concept of the Tecan robotic platform, the Tecan workstation combines integrated 3rd party storage and reagent
Detection of single cells
Via microscope,
Via microscope,
manually transfer from
manually transfer from
incubation unit to
incubation unit to
microscope
microscope
Picking of positive cells
Manual
Automated via LiHa
Cell maintenance procedure
Manual
supplying devices to a complete, fully automated cell line generation system (Fig 6). The automated approach relieves the user from repetitive tasks. By retaining the overall time for the complete process, the effective working time is reduced by about 50–60%
Semiautomated with dispenser
Tecan’s Te-Stack and Te-MO system with
compared to the manual procedure.
Automated via Te-MO on Genesis
Tecan Journal 2/2004
11
www.tecan.com
New Products
Fast and Reliable Automated Microplate Processing – Freedom EVOlyzer® Tecan’s new Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) analyzer is a flexible workcenter that fits in every laboratory
Parallel sample pipetting and continuous loading enables optimized scheduling of Freedom EVOlyzer.
Freedom EVOlyzer includes state of the art reader, washer and incubation units and will be available in four sizes - 75, 100, 150, 200 - ideal for low to high throughput and various batch
A graphical editor tool allows easy definition
size requirements.
of processes.
The Freedom EVOlyzer is Tecan’s new
All Freedom EVO standard safety features
speeds up operation by optimal utilization
Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) analyzer
are included.
of system resources. The high speed
enabling fully automated microplate processing. Freedom EVOlyzer is available in different sizes for all throughput and batch size requirements and includes high quality components dedicated to fast and reliable EIA automation.
To maximize the convenience for the routine operator and to allow for safe process control, Freedom EVOlyzer offers a guided graphical user interface in several languages, designed to support touch screen operation. Complementary user management, full
performance of Freedom EVOlyzer is guaranteed through the combined use of independent plate transport, a 16 channel washing unit and continuous loading of samples, reagents and plates by a new loading interface.
The Freedom EVOlyzer comes with 1-, 2-, 4-
process traceability and documentation
To secure safe operation, the EVOlyzer
or 8- tip liquid handling arm and an
fulfill the requirements of a routine
software controls all liquid levels, schedules
independently operating robotic
diagnostic laboratory.
all necessary interactions and guides the operator by LED signals on the loading
manipulator arm. It offers a maximum of
interface to execute required reloading steps.
chambers, up to 32 plate storage positions
New software for increased throughput and safety
and full automation of all washing and
All EVOlyzer products are driven by the new
high speed performance with the highest
reading steps by Tecan’s reliable Columbus
EVOlyzer software to reduce effort and cost
possible process and operator safety.
Washer and the well proven Sunrise reader.
for application setup and operator training.
The new loading interface enables continuous
Freedom EVOlyzer uses parallel pipetting for
and flexible operation of the system.
transfer of samples to multiple plates, which
12 RT and 12 independently heated incubation
Monitoring of user interactions combines
Tecan Journal 2/2004
12
www.tecan.com
Tecan Plus
Take Advantage of Tecan’s Helpdesk Service A call to your local helpdesk gives you access to a network of highly qualified experts
Comprehensive customer support is provided from a competent, enthusiastic team of friendly support staff in your local Tecan office.
Broad reach of customer support
A service offering high value
Whether you need assistance in reliable
We aim to provide you with courteous,
automation, precise and safe liquid handling,
timely and efficient service that will
maintenance and operation of automation
exceed your expectations. Customer focus
or detection systems, our services are in
is paramount and therefore we continually
place to assist you. We’re able and ready
tailor our services and solutions to your
to offer the expertise you might require
requirements. But we don’t stop there.
Germany +49 1805 83 22 633 or +49 1805 TECAN-DE
to ensure the effective use and high-
We’re confident that whatever your
Italy +39 02 215 21 28
performance operation of our sophisticated,
requirements, whatever your challenges,
Japan/Tokyo +81 42 334 88 10 Osaka +81 6 63 05 85 11
leading-edge instruments and systems.
our experts find the ideal solution. It’s all
Netherlands +31 18 34 48 174
part of Tecan’s comprehensive service that
Portugal +351 21 000 82 16
Support wherever you are
has been designed to give you peace of mind.
The high level of our Customer Support
Therefore, just call your local helpdesk!
For immediate support please call your nearest helpdesk: Austria +43 62 46 89 33 256 Belgium +32 15 42 13 19 France +33 820 88 77 36
Spain +34 93 490 01 74 Scandinavia +46 317 54 40 00
Services offers immediate advantages to Switzerland +41 1 922 82 82
you. Helpdesks are maintained at Tecan
UK +44 118 930 0300
subsidiaries worldwide and trained qualified
USA +1 800 832 26 87 or 1 800 TECAN-US
specialists are available to help you in your local language. Most calls to our local help lines are handled by the local expert or passed on to a qualified field specialist. For more intricate problems, members of Tecan’s highly skilled R&D and production teams are readily at hand.
Tecan Journal 2/2004
13
www.tecan.com
Events
Tecan on the Road Preview on Conferences and Trade Shows 2004 Date
Event
Location
IFBLS 2004
Stockholm
Sweden: 13-18 June
http://www.vardforbundet.se/ ifbls2004/index.asp
France: 22-25 June
GTBIO
Lyon
http://www.ibcp.fr/rhaser/gtbio/
11-15 July
ISBT 2004
Edinburgh
http://www.isbt-web.org/
16-17 November
Labautomation Europe
London
http://labautomationeurope.com
Het Instrument 2004
Utrecht
www.hetinstrument.nl
Medica
Düsseldorf
www.medica
12-16 June
ALA LabFusion
Boston, MA
http://labautomation.org/LF/LF04/
17-27 July
ACA
Chicago, IL
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/aca2004/
25-29 July
AACC
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.aacc.org/2004AM/
UK:
Netherlands: 1-5 November Germany: 24-27 November North America:
default.stm 8-13 August
Drug Discovery
Boston, MA
www.drugdisc.com
11-15 September
SBS
Orlando, FL
www.sbsonline.com
The Japan Society for Clinical
Yokohama
http://www1.sphere.ne.jp/jidouka/
Japan: 29 September – 1 October
Laboratory Automation Always up to date: http://www.tecan.com/index/com-ev-entry.htm
Tecan – Powering Advanced Medicine Have you ever wished to know more about Tecan and the people standing behind the products that support your daily work? If yes, you are likely to want to see our new corporate video “Tecan – Powering Advanced Medicine”. It gives a brief overview of the company. In addition, for each of Tecan’s business areas, product managers highlight the prominent features of their products. You can access the video on our website in a streaming format. Alternatively, please visit us at one of the events listed above or call your nearest Tecan office for a demonstration by one of our sales representatives.
Tecan Journal 2/2004
14
www.tecan.com
Local News
Driving Innovation – Tecan Demonstrates New Products at International Exhibitions
LabAutomation2004, San Jose, California, USA.
Pittcon 2004, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Forum LABO 2004, Paris, France.
This spring, Tecan participated at several international exhibitions and demonstrated important new laboratory automation and detection products. Tecan’s booth at LabAutomation2004 exhibition on February 2-4 in San Jose, California, USA, featured the following products for the first time at a major trade show: Cellerity – A powerful cell and protein production system providing a high-throughput solution for fully automated cell culture maintenance, cell-line expansion and harvesting with minimal process development. Freedom EVOware® – A software for controlling robotic platforms providing an unmatched combination of flexibility and ease-of-use for beginners with no experience and automation experts setting up complex multi-device schedules. Safire2 – A monochromator-based microplate reader combining improved flexibility in an easy-to-use modular format with a wide range of high-speed fluorescence techniques. Cavro™ XLP 6000 – A high performance syringe pump with 6,000 (standard 6,000/48,000) increment resolution. In addition, Tecan lead numerous workshops and poster presentations with strategic partners including Amersham, Corning, Invitrogen and Millipore. Other international exhibitions where visitors could see demonstrations of Tecan’s new and existing solutions this Spring included Pittcon in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from March 8-11 and Forum LABO in Paris, France, from March 23-26.
Masthead Tecan Journal Customer Magazine of Tecan Group Ltd. ISSN 1660-5276
Design, Editing and Layout: Northbank Communications Meadowside, Mountbatten Way, Congleton CW12 1DN, UK E-Mail: m.egelhofer@northbankcommunications.com
Circulation: 9,000 copies (German), 10,500 copies (English)
Pre-Press and Printing: DAZ Druckerei Albisrieden AG Grafische Dienstleistungen, Albisriederstrasse 252a, CH-8047 Zürich
Publisher: Tecan Group Ltd.
Copyright: All rights are reserved by Tecan Journal
Editor: Dr. Josef Syfrig
Photos and Illustrations: Tecan Germany GmbH, Tecan Group Ltd, Northbank Communications
Address: Tecan Group Ltd., Seestrasse 103, CH-8708 Männedorf, Switzerland Tel: +41 1 922 88 88 Fax: +41 1 922 88 90 E-Mail: josef.syfrig@tecan.com Internet: http://www.tecan.com
Typography: Type set in Thesis from LucasFonts Subscription: For a free subscription to Tecan Journal, please contact your nearest sales office (see back cover of this issue) or send an e-mail to: tecan@tecan.com
Tecan Journal 2/2004
15
www.tecan.com
One microplate reader suited for both Assay Development and HTS
You no longer have to choose one reader for assay development and another for high throughput screening. The monochromator-based Safire2 has the speed, sensitivity, flexibility and capacity to do a great job of both, and anything in between. The fast scanning mode of Safire2 enables recording of excitation spectra, emission spectra or absorbance spectra with high speed comparable to diode array spectrometers. Safire2 gives the two readouts required for ratiometric assays, such as FP or FRET, almost simultaneously, making the need for two detection channels redundant. Its modular design allows easy upgrading, making Safire2 the reader of choice for most applications, including homogeneous, ratiometric biomolecular assays, HTS applications, multi-labeling assays, cell-based assays, DNA and RNA quantification, reporter gene assays, and many more.
www.tecan.com/safire2 Austria +43 62 46 89 33 Belgium +32 15 42 13 19 Denmark +45 70 23 44 50 France +33 1 30 68 81 50 Germany +49 79 51 94 170 Italy +39 02 215 21 28 Japan +81 42 334 88 55 Netherlands +31 18 34 48 17 4 Portugal +351 21 000 82 16 Singapore +65 644 41 886 Spain + 34 93 490 01 74 Sweden +46 31 75 44 000 Switzerland +41 1 922 89 22 UK +44 118 9300 300 USA +1 919 361 5200 Other +43 62 46 89 33
Genomics • Proteomics • Drug Discovery • Clinical Diagnostics