Automated cell culture from Tecan

Tecan, one of the world's leading players in the growing life sciences industry, has released the new Flask Flipper™ module which fits Tecan's Freedom EVO® liquid handling workstations.

The new module handles tissue cultures in microplate-sized, automation friendly cell culture flasks, which have been introduced by recognized consumable manufacturers, including the RoboFlask™ vessel by Corning Life Sciences.

The module eliminates manually tedious cell culturing processes by automating the harvest, passage, splitting and seeding of adherent cell cultures. The Flask Flipper module assists the cell harvesting process by shaking, knocking cells off flask surfaces and holding flasks in the upright position for liquid addition or removal.

Studies in association with the Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur have shown that various cell types grown to near confluency in Corning RoboFlask vessels showed no statistical differences in cell counts and cell viability when harvested either manually or by the Freedom EVO equipped with the Flask Flipper (data available from Tecan).