Nest week sees the Lab Automation exhibition and conference at Palm Springs, California, at which many leading suppliers will launch new and updated equipment. Russ Swan provides this preview
Automation is, without doubt, one of the most dynamic growth areas in laboratory technology today.
With applications from the state-of-the-art high-throughput drug discovery laboratory to the routine analysis of clinical samples, automated equipment is helping labs perform better, faster, and more efficiently.
The techniques and machinery involved are in a constant state of development, and this month (January 2008) sees the first public demonstrations this year of the latest models from some major manufacturers.
The Lab Automation conference and exhibition at the Palm Springs Convention Center in California opens its doors on Saturday 26 January, welcoming up to 5000 scientists from around the USA and overseas, to discuss and review the latest development in the sector.
Artel will present several new features of its MVS multichannel verification system, including an advanced automation function for streamlined performance verification of automated liquid handlers.
Also, for the first time ever, Artel will have automated liquid handlers from industry leaders Beckman Coulter, Caliper Life Sciences, Tecan, and Velocity11 to conduct live demonstrations of the MVS and its new capabilities.
In addition to the new automation function, the new MVS capabilities to be showcased include testing automated liquid handler performance for low-volume DMSO transfers; interfacing with plate readers from other manufacturers for in-process quality control checks; and verifying the accuracy of dilution steps.
Tecan's new Infinite M1000 multimode microplate reader is being launched at LabAutomation 2008.
The high-end detection system claims top-of-the-range flexibility, sensitivity and speed for a wide range of detection modes, and has been especially optimised for time resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-Fret)-based assays, as well as glow luminescence, fast luminescence and dual colour luminescence assays.
The Infinite M1000 gives excellent flexibility through its next-generation premium quad4 monochromators, but its innovative technology also provides the uncompromising sensitivity and speed typically associated with filter-based systems.
And TTP LabTech will show its new non-invasive volume detection system for microtubes, Comcheck, for the first time at an exhibition.
With Comcheck, researchers can quickly ascertain the volume of sample within a tube and identify which sample tubes contain a liquid below an acceptable threshold volume.
Comcheck eliminates the issues with invasive level sensing, cap removal and centrifugation, can be used with 96 tube racks from all major suppliers, and can operate stand-alone or be easily integrated into a laboratory system using the automation interface.
Invetech, meanwhile, will showcase its entire integrated contract development and manufacturing services at the event.
Invetech says its services are being increasingly relied upon by industry experts seeking an experienced outsourcing co-development partner to jointly achieve business success.
Once again, David James, director for Invetech, will co-present the technical project management workshop covering typical project management strategies, stages and progress tracking, with examples of just some of the company's project management tools and their application.
Invetech is a contract engineering and manufacturing services company with extensive experience in solving automation challenges for laboratories and instrument companies working in point of care diagnostics, molecular diagnostics, life sciences and pharmaceutical/biotech laboratories.
Technical programme highlights.
Velocity11 will present a workshop entitled 'Controlled environments in Laboratory Automation' on 28 January 2008 at this important meeting, and will be providing lunch for attendees.
Environmental control is critical to successful automation of a variety of biological and biochemical applications.
Requirements for systems can range from low complexity configurations for compound management in ambient or low temperature chambers with dust protection and low humidity, to sophisticated cell culture environments demanding sterility, higher temperatures and a controlled environment.
The workshop will guide attendees through a variety of approaches Velocity11 has taken to protect its customers' valuable reagents, cells, and compounds.
Working with liquid handling stations, workstations, and integrated systems, attendees will see how environmental control can be achieved by integrating with precisely controlled sub-units such as dedicated incubators and compound storage systems or by controlling the environment of entire systems.
BioTek will introduce two new products.
Synergy 4 multi-mode microplate reader with hybrid technology will represent the first in a new class of hybrid microplate readers.
Synergy 4 is said to be the first and only multi-mode reader to combine filter-based and monochromator-based fluorescence detection technologies in one instrument for unlimited flexibility in current and future microplate-based assays.
In addition to fluorescence intensity measurements, Synergy 4's modular design allows detection of fluorescence polariSation, time-resolved fluorescence, luminescence, alphascreen and UV-visible absorbance for even greater versatility.
BioTek and Invitrogen will present a technical poster entitled Fluorescence Intensity, Fret, and TR-Fret homogeneous assay technologies from Invitrogen validated on Synergy 4.
Both the Synergy 4 and the MicroFlo Select will be featured at the 'Late night with LRIG: rapid-fire innovation session', to be held on 28 January 2008 at the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel.
