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Beckman Coulter Integrates New BioRAPTR™ Workstation for High-Throughput Assay Miniaturization

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics
31 Jan 2007

Product news

Beckman Coulter, Inc. will demonstrate its new BioRAPTR FRD™ microfluidic workstation at LabAutomation2007. The system will be shown in two configurations – standalone and integrated with Beckman Coulter’s new PARADIGM™ Detection Platform, Biomek® NXp liquid handler and BRT Robotic Transport

With the addition of the new BioRAPTR low-volume workstation, Beckman Coulter’s automation capabilities span the complete range of volumes, from tubes to microplates to 3,456-well ChemLib* plates.

Ideal for assay miniaturization applications in drug discovery, genomics and proteomics, the BioRAPTR non-contact, high-precision dispenser delivers increased capacity and speed along with reduced reagent and consumable costs. With the BioRAPTR’s unique design, the plate moves while the pipetting head is stationary, creating a shorter fluid path, for high precision with low dead volume. Flexible programming is easily done through an Excel* spreadsheet and allows a variety of reagents to be dispensed into any well at a range of volumes. The BioRAPTR has been validated with biological samples, demonstrating high cell viability.

Integration of the BioRAPTR with Beckman Coulter’s Biomek and PARADIGM systems enables high-throughput applications such as compound screening. The company has also recently introduced a companion workstation, the PicoRAPTR™, a multimode workstation that features both piezo and syringe dispensing for low-volume aspirate and dispense operations involved in dose response curve generation and compound reformatting activities.

“This is the first time we have shown the BioRAPTR, developed by Aurora Discovery, as a Beckman Coulter product integrated with our other systems,” commented Noreen Galvin, Ph.D., director of automated solutions for Beckman Coulter. “We are currently working on additional integrations for high-throughput compound screening applications. The combination of high-quality, high-content data and reduced costs is driving rapid acceptance of this technology at pharmaceutical companies.”

*Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

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Genome AnalysisGenomics, the study of genomes, includes functional genomics, evolutionary genomics and comparative genomics. There are many genomic technologies such as DNA sequencing of whole genomes, computational biology and bioinformatics. DNA and nucleic acids must be isolated and concentrated from cells for analysis with kits, automated analyzers and software. Other useful technologies for studying genomics include PCR, microarrays and electrophoresis.Lab-on-a-ChipLab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology uses microfluidic chips, such as microarrays, to perform biochemical assays on a small scale. Benefits of lab-on-a-chip include the small volume of sample required as well as the speed of analysis. In selecting lab-on-a-chip devices consider the assay, cost, reliability, sensitivity and signal to noise ratio.ProteomicsProteomics is the systemic bioinformatics study of proteins and amino acids, including their structure, size, function and identification. Tools used in proteomics include chromatography, blotting and gels, protein arrays, mass spectrometry and ELISA and associated analysis software. Analyzers and proteomic systems should be sensitive, high resolution, fast and may be automated for high-throughput.High-Throughput ScreeningHigh-throughput screening (HTS) is an automated drug discovery technique for identification of active compounds against a compound library. Use HTS readers and integrated assay preparation / analysis workstations to screen your compounds. Identify active compounds against various HTS libraries, including membranes, proteins and peptides and HTS cell lines. Find the best high-throughput screening products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Biopharmaceutical AdvancesBiopharmaceutical advances follow the development of pharmaceuticals derived from biotechnology, also known as biotechnology medicines. Biopharmaceuticals may be produced from cell lines, plants, or microbial cells. Important considerations of biopharmaceutical use include application, cost, production process and purification.

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Beckman Coulter Integrates New BioRAPTR™ Workstation for High-Throughput Assay Miniaturization