Laboratory Automation
plates, allowing for easy transfer of manual 96- well assays into higher density plate formats. Tecan’s latest liquid handler, Fluent®, has been
built for flexibility with a modular, open design for easy configuration of each component. The system can rapidly change between 96- and 384-channel formats, and the Flexible Channel Arm™ offers a choice of air- or liquid-displacement technology. The arm can accommodate either fixed or dispos- able tips to accurately dispense volumes from <500nL to >5mL. In addition, Tecan Labwerx™ creates reliable customised end-to-end solutions to address laboratories’ ever-changing needs (Figure 4).
Figure 5: The dragonfly® discovery liquid handler from SPT Labtech provides scientists with a system for developing complex assays with ease, allowing for validation and screening in a reliable and cost-efficient manner
SPT Labtech dragonfly® discovery automated liq- uid handler: SPT Labtech’s newest liquid handling platform, the dragonfly® discovery, has been designed to reduce assay development time and greatly improve HTS efficiency, as well as enabling hit-to-lead and lead optimisation workflows. The easy-to-use system boasts precise non-contact dis- pensing across a broad dynamic range (200nL to 4mL) from up to 10 independently-controlled pos- itive displacement disposable tips. The system also features a highly visual and easy-to-use software with in-built time-management features for automation of time point experiments, meaning tighter control and maximised walk-away time (Figure 5).
Conclusion The latest advances offered by current automated liquid handling systems are benefiting a broad range of drug discovery applications, while continued enhancements are driving improvements in the pre- cision, accuracy, speed and repeatability of work- flows. In turn, these developments will have a signif- icant impact on reducing assay development and transition to HTS times, helping to deliver dramatic reductions in drug discovery timescales.
DDW
Tecan’s D300e dispenser as well as customised ver- sions of Fluent® are for research use only and might not be available in your country.
Helen Stewart-Miller is Director of PR Services and Thomas Hope is a PR Account Executive at BioStrata, a life science specialist marketing agen- cy. The company’s growing team in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (US) includes a significant num- ber of people with deep scientific experience and knowledge. The agency offers a range of services from strategy, branding and message development through to content creation, creative design, digital marketing and public relations.
24 Drug Discovery World Winter 2019/20
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