Progen Scientific launches Handheld Clone Picking Tool

Progen Scientific Limited of Mexborough, South Yorkshire is pleased to introduce the Schuett PickMaxX handheld clone picking tool. The PickMaxX is the fast, inexpensive, more efficient alternative to toothpicks.

The Schuett PickMaxX clone picking tool from Progen Scientific is a handheld device for manually transferring cell colonies to multiwell plates (96- or 384-well) as well as a manually operated inoculating device. The PickMaxX gives unerring picking i.e. for specific individual colonies. The product has a host of features including:

• Simultaneously 24 clones may be transferred to the buffer solution (12 when using the 96-well plates)
• High working efficiency compared to using toothpicks
• Low cost version of a picking robot
• Immediate intuitive operation
• Ergonomically balanced handling for minimised operator fatigue
• Sterile, disposable, flexible combs are used for picking colonies, which allow for serial inoculation in all standard multiwell plates (96- or 384-well)

So how does it work?
The PickMaxX works by taking a disposable comb from the dispenser and inserting in the outlet of the PickMaxX until an audible click can be noticed. Typically the agar plate is held in the left hand allowing for a full view of the agar surface. The right hand holds the PickMaxX allowing the index finger to freely push the lever, thereby advancing the comb with the individual foil tips. Each tip will then be used to pick one clone. The resulting serial picking of clones allows for transferring complete clone series in one uninterrupted work cycle. After all the foil tips of a given comb carry a clone, the entire comb will be removed from the PickMaxX and placed in one row after another of the multiwell plate.

The result is a quick and error-free means of transferring clones to multiwell plates; it takes approximately 15 minutes to inoculate a 384-well multiwell plate operation.