Making automated electrophoresis accessible

System deploys microfluidic technology to introduce substantial time and labour savings, without sacrificing sensitivity or resolution

Bio-Rad Laboratories has launched Experion, an automated electrophoresis system that uses Caliper Life Sciences's LabChip microfluidic technology to dramatically speed 1D protein and RNA separation and analysis.

"Substantial time and labour savings, without sacrificing sensitivity or resolution, are the compelling benefits of this new platform", explains Gus Salem, Bio-Rad division manager, protein separations.

"Experion also will sell for significantly less than competing systems, removing a major barrier to automating electrophoretic analysis at a wide range of industrial and academic laboratories, core research facilities and QC/screening facilities".

The Experion system utiliszes LabChip technology to automate and speed separations.

An Experion system run typically lasts 30 minutes compared to 2-2.5 hours using conventional mini gels, including image analysis and quantitation.

Unattended steps include separation, staining, destaining, imaging, band detection and data analysis.

The system is designed for error-free chip priming, minimal hands-on time, and low consumption of samples and reagents.

Handling of hazardous chemicals is also minimised.

Extremely simple workflow.

After basic sample preparation similar to traditional gel electrophoresis, the user simply inserts the primed and loaded chip into the instrument, closes the lid, selects the analysis type and gets results in about 30 minutes.

Hardware includes an automated priming station, a vortex station to mix reagents and the automated electrophoresis station.

Three kits are available for use in the Experion system: protein kit, standard RNA kit, and high-sensitivity RNA kit.

The kit for protein analysis includes 10 or 25 protein chips, electrode cleaner, molecular weight ladder, gel matrix, sample buffer, dye concentrate and spin filters.

There are two kits for RNA analysis, standard sensitivity and high sensitivity.

Each contains 10 or 25 StdSens or HighSens RNA chips, two electrode cleaners, dye concentrate, marker solution, gel matrix, RNA ladder and spin filters.

Components of all three kits are also available separately.

Automated results.

Precise standards for proteins and RNA, optimised microfluidic chip design, electrophoresis-grade reagents, and easy-to-use automated priming and electrophoresis stations combine to deliver high resolution and sensitivity in the separations.

The researcher benefits from accurate and reproducible sizing and quantitation of their protein or RNA samples.

The system performs single-step molecular weight sizing of protein samples from 10 to 260kD, while automatically calculating the relative protein concentration of each band.

For RNA, the Experion system provides separation profiles of mRNA and total RNA samples down to picogram amounts, and quantitates concentrations in nanogram amounts.

Additional information on purity of total RNA is indicated by the ribosomal RNA ratio number that is automatically calculated as well.

Data in flexible, familiar formats.

Experion software provides data analysis and instrument control via intuitive control of experiments via workflow icons and pull-down menus.

The interface screen displays results in both peak electropherogram and gel views to accommodate a variety of user preferences and requirements.

Integral analysis software quickly generates sizing and quantitation results.

Bio-Rad is also planning to add optional software tools to support 21CFR 11 compliance and IQ/OQ protocols in 2005.

Users can quickly access purity, experimental changes or biological conditions with information automatically calculated in the results table.

Automated data capture quickly generates separation results.

Experion software takes it a step further with data analysis tools that help researchers derive additional information from the data.

For example, query-based comparisons within the chip enable statistical analysis of specific RNA or protein samples.

"The Experion system is the logical extension of Bio-Rad's extensive expertise in gel electrophoresis", Salem observes.

"It also complements our capabilities in other protein analysis tools, PCR and microarrays.

"We were careful to develop a robust system that will deliver the greatest value to the largest number of users".

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