52 Microarray Solutions Transform Functional Proteomics Workflows at ASU
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 hybridisation station and two PowerScanner™ units from Tecan for processing protein microarrays. Dr Joshua LaBaer, Director of the centre, 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 synthesises 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. This instrument has done wonders in terms of reproducibility; we can do the same array on two different days and still get the same answer. The PowerScanners are also essential, with very good optics giving us strong signals. We run many slides repeatedly, which can be extremely tedious, and having reliable autoloaders on the PowerScanners has been very helpful.”
Dr LaBaer concluded: “In both cases, the devices were by far the best thing on the market. In the case of the PowerScanner, there was nothing out there with the same combination of good autoloading features, images and software. Other devices simply didn’t match the quality.”
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Blood Gas Systems set for Everest Return
The Xtreme Everest organisation is to use two blood gas analysers from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics during a return expedition to Mount Everest later this year. The team of intensive care doctors, nurses and scientists conduct experiments at high altitude in order to develop therapies that improve survival rates amongst patients. Experimenting at altitude closely reflects the oxygen levels experienced by patients at intensive care units. The two systems from Siemens travelling to the world’s highest peak are the RAPIDPoint® Gas Analyser and the RAPIDLab®
500 Blood 348EX Blood Gas
System. The Xtreme Everest 2 expedition follows previous research conducted on Everest by the organisation in 2007, which saw the team use the RAPIDLab 348 from Siemens.
The team will conduct studies into nitric oxide and its effect on microcirculation and mitochondria. Volunteers will include identical twins, children, Sherpas and some of the volunteers who took part in 2007. The RAPIDPoint 500 offers ease-of-use to deliver laboratory-quality results at the Point of Care in approximately 60 seconds from a single, whole blood sample. The system’s built-in CO-oximeter will be used by the team to investigate haemoglobin mass levels at high altitude. The RAPIDLab 348EX Blood Gas Analyser features a new colour touchscreen monitor for intuitive ease of use, supported by its predecessor’s tried and tested components for reliability and minimal maintenance requirements.
As part of the preparations, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics’ manufacturing facility in Sudbury played host to members of the Xtreme Everest 2 team, and demonstrated the production of the RAPIDPoint 500 Blood Gas Analyser and RAPIDLab 348EX Blood Gas System.
During the visit to the Siemens manufacturing facility, the Xtreme Everest team received a detailed explanation and demonstration of how the RAPIDPoint 500 and RAPIDLab 348EX systems are built at the factory. They also received hands-on experience across the production line, which allowed them to gain a greater understanding of the systems, as well as further insight into how the RAPIDPoint 500 and RAPIDLab 348EX can be maintained in the harsh environment of the Himalayas.
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INTERNATIONAL LABMATE - APRIL 2013
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