EDITOR’S PAGE continued


IR spectral analyzer Infrared spectroscopy has not been much of a factor in ’omics due to the strong absorbance of water. CETICS Healthcare Technologies (Esslingen am Neckar, Germany) introduced the SEPCCs Analyzer for metabolomics, cell culture, and in vitro diagnostics. The key is the 10-µm pathlength, which is short enough to pass infrared light. Since the pathlength is short, the sample volume is less than 100 µL.


Applications examples include assay of blood lipids such as cholesterol, spectral markers for Alzheimer’s disease, and assay of cell culture growth. The information content is increased by recording the derivative spectra using a partial least squares program.


Positive-pressure solid-phase extraction module The quality of data from screens of many compound libraries can be improved with automated sample cleanup using SPE. SPE is usually per- formed with vacuum assistance. This is not easily automated and lacks flow control. Hamilton introduced a positive-pressure SPE module in 24-, 48-, 96-, and 384-well formats. It is designed to fit on the deck of the company’s NIMBUS, STAR, and Vantage series liquid handlers.


Dual-arm autosampling workstation Several of the lectures on automation reported the use of Apricot’s ADDA dual-arm autosampling workstation for high-throughput LC-MS. The cycle time is only 8 sec/sample. Throughput is rated at 4000 wells/10 hr. Most of this is a trap-and-elute cleanup. The ADDA has eight injection ports and four syringe pumps and valves. The flow path has been designed to reduce sample carryover.


Fluorescence microscope plate reader For at least a decade, PerkinElmer’s Opera® has been the most popu- lar fluorescence microscope plate reader for high-content analysis. PE chose SLAS to introduce the Opera Phenix™, a complete redesign with greatly improved optics that gives high-resolution sensitivity and fast 3-D four-color images. Up to four confocal images are collected using a Nipkow spinning disk camera that isolates excitation and emission light while minimizing photobleaching. An improved high-numerical-aperture water-immersion lens trebles view area. Complementary metal–oxide– semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors complement the optics to provide images of solutions and microtissues. Software integrates the images for spectacular co-localization experiments. Laser-based autofocus also enhances image quality. First shipments are scheduled for Q3, 2014.


Biobanking and sample storage Hamilton is also a leading vendor of sample storage and banking prod-


ucts, including walk-in enclosures. This year, the Lab Elite I.D. Reader™ was introduced. It is designed to automatically decode 2-D barcode labels in 12-, 24-, 48-, 96-, and 384-tube racks. Identification of each tube is essential in any transfer or biobanking operation. A 96-well rack can read the labels on the top or bottom in about 3 sec. The I.D. Reader is compatible with labware from major vendors.


Hamilton’s engineers also combined the previously announced Capper with the I.D. Reader to make the LabElite I.D. Capper. This automates tube opening and tracking.


Clinical diagnostics Years ago, the clinical diagnostics (Dx) segment split off due to divergent interests and regulatory pressure associated with CLIA and the FDA. However, I noticed a few Dx-related items such as the opening keynote, “The Convergence of the Digital Era and Medicine,” by Prof. Eric Topol, M.D., of The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA).


He asked the audience who used Twitter. He was clearly shocked when less than 10% raised their hands. During the day’s interview, I asked colleagues about this. Don Arnold of Eksigent (San Francisco, CA) summarized it best. “I’m looking for ways to increase the time between distractions.” This fits for me, also.


However, to make his point, Prof. Topol went on to show a collage of medical apps using smartphones. Some combined analytics with diag- nosis. These included several that were released in the previous week. I read that his major point is that healthcare will quickly change from a physician-centric to an individual-centric model, as described in his recent book, Creative Destruction of Medicine. Automation combined with rapid, robust, and cheap diagnostics will facilitate the “Creative Destruction of [Today’s] Medicine.”


Roche (Basel, Switzerland) presented a poster describing the cobas® 6800 and 8800 systems for high-throughput diagnostics. These highly integrated workstations process 300 or 1000 samples in 8 hr. Supported test protocols are molecular diagnostics requiring PCR amplification, including HIV, HCV, HBV, and CMV.


Credits Traditionally the January meeting of the Society for Laboratory Automation has been the forum for automation specialists to talk shop and strut their stuff. This year, 45 new products were registered. Three years ago, recognizing their symbiotic technical relationship, the Society for Biological Screening merged with the Society for Laboratory Automation to form the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS). SLAS2014 attracted a record 5819 scientists.


The SLAS staff and supporting volunteers deserve special thanks for or- ganizing and managing a very successful meeting. The meeting series is now locked into alternating between Washington, DC, in odd years, and San Diego, CA, in even years. The 2015 meeting is scheduled to be held February 7–11, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Please visit www.slas2015.org/ for more information.


Robert L. Stevenson, Ph.D., is Editor, American Laboratory/Labcompare; e-mail: rlsteven@yahoo.com.


AMERICAN LABORATORY • 8 • JUNE/JULY 2014


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