Automated RT-qPCR Utilizing the Access™ Workstation, the Echo® Liquid Handler, and RealTime Ready™ Reagents

9 Oct 2012

RT-qPCR has been increasingly utilized by researchers to quantify mRNA levels. Its widespread use has been limited by an often laborious multi-step process and high reagent cost. Recent advances in non-contact reagent dispensing and next generation one step lysis reagents are enabling scientists to generate high throughput data at a much faster rate. This application note, from LabCyte Inc., describes the automation of three complementary tools to generate high throughout RT-qPCR data; the Echo liquid handler, RealTime Ready cell lysis reagents, and the Access workstation.

Related products

Request Quote for All Products

Access™ Laboratory Workstation
Small-Scale Automation with Large-Scale Results Access™ laboratory workstations multiply the benefits of the Echo® liquid handler by improving overall assay throughput and reproducibility. With the ability to integrate a variety of devices and the modularity to scale when needed, each workstation offers the flexibility required by frequently-changing assay requirements. All Access workstations are optimized at install and include all safety mechanisms required for CE compliance. Access workstations use Labcyte Tempo™ automation control software to manage the system configuration and schedule automated routines. Protocols created from Echo® software applications can be imported into Tempo™ software and quickly converted into fully automated routines. Support for a Range of Applications Assay ready plate preparation Lead optimization and secondary screening assays High-throughput gene expression assays Automated protein crystallography setup
(7)
Echo® 500 Series Liquid Handlers
The Echo® liquid handler revolutionizes liquid handling with acoustic energy. Sound waves eject precisely sized droplets from a source onto a microplate, slide or other surface suspended above the source. This product does not use tips, pin tools or nozzles—completely eliminating contact between the instrument and the liquid. The Echo liquid handler provides powerful benefits: Tipless transfer, resulting in dramatic cost savings Improved information about sample integrity and improved transfer quality through measurement of DMSO hydration level Elimination of the need for calibration through Dynamic Fluid Analysis™ technology, a patented Labcyte process Elimination of cross-contamination, carryover or leachates through non-contact transfer Accurate, precise movement of nanoliter-scale quantities, enabling assay miniaturization and further reducing costs Better results through direct dilution of compounds, an improvement over serial dilution methods Greatly simplified assay development and dilution processes through the flexibility to transfer any volume of liquid from any well to any other well
(82)
Echo® 520 Liquid Handler
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Imagine preparing assay plates for siRNA screening, compound screening with biochemical and cell-based assays, PCR reactions and more all on a single liquid handling platform, with no tips and no cross-contamination. Labcyte has developed new acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) parameters that deliver built-in intelligence to enable users to transfer many different fluid types from a single instrument. All Echo systems come pre-calibrated so that you can switch among different fluid types with just a click of the mouse. No further adjustment is required for you to be productive immediately. These developments combine the latest discoveries in wavelength, power and timing requirements for ADE with real-time fluid measurement at multiple points during a run. The resulting algorithms solve some of the most significant liquid handling challenges with volatile, low-surface tension and/or meniscus-shifting fluids. Volumetric accuracy and precision for all fluids tested so far—including buffers, nucleic acid and protein solutions, surfactants, serum and cell culture media—are comparable to established performance with DMSO. The Echo® 520 liquid handler delivers the same superior precision and accuracy as the award-winning 550 and 555 models, for laboratories with lower throughput needs. Like the Echo 550 and Echo 555 liquid handlers, the Echo 520 uses "touchless" ADE transfer technology. ADE uses sound energy to transfer 2.5 nL droplets from Echo-qualified 384- and 1536-well source plates into 96-, 384-, 1536- and 3456-well destination plates. This unique touchless technology eliminates consumable tip costs, washing, and cross-contamination. Unsurpassed volumetric precision (≤ 8% CV) and accuracy (≤ 10% CV) ensure superior results. Independent studies have shown that Echo liquid handlers eliminate false negatives due to sample loss on tip surfaces in low-concentration transfers. The Echo 520 liquid handler reports source well volume, but does not report DMSO hydration values. Applications: • Compound management • Compound screening • siRNA screening • Biochemical assays • Cell-based assays • PCR • Genotyping • Gene expression
(2)
Echo® 550 Liquid Handler
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Imagine preparing assay plates for siRNA screening, compound screening with biochemical and cell-based assays, PCR reactions and more all on a single liquid handling platform, with no tips and no cross-contamination. Labcyte has developed new acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) parameters that deliver built-in intelligence to enable users to transfer many different fluid types from a single instrument. All Echo systems come pre-calibrated so that you can switch among different fluid types with just a click of the mouse. No further adjustment is required for you to be productive immediately. These developments combine the latest discoveries in wavelength, power and timing requirements for ADE with real-time fluid measurement at multiple points during a run. The resulting algorithms solve some of the most significant liquid handling challenges with volatile, low-surface tension and/or meniscus-shifting fluids. Volumetric accuracy and precision for all fluids tested so far—including buffers, nucleic acid and protein solutions, surfactants, serum and cell culture media—are comparable to established performance with DMSO. The Echo® 550 liquid handler introduced the world to acoustic droplet ejection (ADE). This award-winning instrument remains the proven choice for low-volume liquid handling in leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Like the Echo 520 and Echo 555 liquid handlers, the Echo 550 uses "touchless" ADE transfer technology. ADE uses sound energy to transfer 2.5 nL droplets from Echo-qualified 384- and 1536-well source plates into 96-, 384-, 1536- and 3456-well destination plates. This unique touchless technology eliminates consumable tip costs, washing, and cross-contamination. Unsurpassed volumetric precision (≤ 8% CV) and accuracy (≤ 10% CV) ensure superior results. Independent studies have shown that Echo liquid handlers eliminate false negatives due to sample loss on tip surfaces in low-concentration transfers. Like the Echo 555 liquid handler, the Echo 550 liquid handler reports both fluid volume and DMSO hydration. Applications: Compound management Compound screening siRNA screening Biochemical assays Cell-based assays PCR Genotyping Gene expression
(22)
Echo® 555 Liquid Handler
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Echo® 555 liquid handler - the world's fastest acoustic dispensing platform for life science applications. The Echo® 555 liquid handler is the world’s fastest acoustic liquid handling platform for life science applications. Laboratories that demand very high throughput rely upon the Echo 555 liquid handler for round-the-clock trouble-free operation to enable the fastest discovery.The Echo 555 doubles the throughput of the Echo 550 and provides transfers from as many as 660,000 wells per day. Like the Echo 520 and Echo 550 liquid handlers, the Echo 555 uses "touchless" ADE transfer technology. ADE uses sound energy to transfer 2.5 nL droplets from Echo-qualified 384- and 1536-well source plates into 96-, 384-, 1536- and 3456-well destination plates.This unique touchless technology eliminates consumable tip costs, washing, and cross-contamination. Unsurpassed volumetric precision (≤ 8% CV) and accuracy (≤ 10% CV) ensure superior results. Independent studies have shown that Echo liquid handlers eliminate false negatives due to sample loss on tip surfaces in low-concentration transfers. Like the Echo 550 liquid handler, the Echo 555 liquid handler reports both fluid volume and DMSO hydration.Echo® 555 Liquid Handler Features: Tipless transfer, resulting in dramatic cost savings Accurate, precise movement of nanoliter-scale quantities, enabling assay miniaturization and further reducing costs Elimination of cross-contamination, carryover or leachates Better results through direct dilution of compounds, an improvement over serial dilution methods Improved information about sample integrity and improved transfer quality through measurement of DMSO hydration level Applications: Compound management Compound screening siRNA screening Biochemical assays Cell-based assays PCR Genotyping Gene expression
(29)

Tags

Genome AnalysisPCR and Thermal CyclingGene Expression and Molecular CloningRNA InterferenceRT qPCR

Echo® 550 Liquid Handler

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences

Imagine preparing assay plates for siRNA screening, compound screening with biochemical and cell-based assays, PCR reactions and more all on a single liquid handling platform, with no tips and no cross-contamination. Labcyte has developed new acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) parameters that deliver built-in intelligence to enable users to transfer many different fluid types from a single instrument. All Echo systems come pre-calibrated so that you can switch among different fluid types with just a click of the mouse. No further adjustment is required for you to be productive immediately. These developments combine the latest discoveries in wavelength, power and timing requirements for ADE with real-time fluid measurement at multiple points during a run. The resulting algorithms solve some of the most significant liquid handling challenges with volatile, low-surface tension and/or meniscus-shifting fluids. Volumetric accuracy and precision for all fluids tested so far—including buffers, nucleic acid and protein solutions, surfactants, serum and cell culture media—are comparable to established performance with DMSO. The Echo® 550 liquid handler introduced the world to acoustic droplet ejection (ADE). This award-winning instrument remains the proven choice for low-volume liquid handling in leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Like the Echo 520 and Echo 555 liquid handlers, the Echo 550 uses "touchless" ADE transfer technology. ADE uses sound energy to transfer 2.5 nL droplets from Echo-qualified 384- and 1536-well source plates into 96-, 384-, 1536- and 3456-well destination plates. This unique touchless technology eliminates consumable tip costs, washing, and cross-contamination. Unsurpassed volumetric precision (≤ 8% CV) and accuracy (≤ 10% CV) ensure superior results. Independent studies have shown that Echo liquid handlers eliminate false negatives due to sample loss on tip surfaces in low-concentration transfers. Like the Echo 555 liquid handler, the Echo 550 liquid handler reports both fluid volume and DMSO hydration. Applications: Compound management Compound screening siRNA screening Biochemical assays Cell-based assays PCR Genotyping Gene expression

(22)

Automated RT-qPCR Utilizing the Access™ Workstation, the Echo® Liquid Handler, and RealTime Ready™ Reagents

Related products

Access™ Laboratory Workstation

Echo® 500 Series Liquid Handlers

Echo® 520 Liquid Handler

Echo® 550 Liquid Handler

Echo® 555 Liquid Handler

Tags

Related resources

OxyLite: Gold standard tissue oxygen monitors

OxyFlo: Setting the standard in blood perfusion assessment

HypoxyLab: Bench-top physiological oxygen incubator and workstation

Access™ Laboratory Workstation

Echo® 500 Series Liquid Handlers

Echo® 520 Liquid Handler

Echo® 550 Liquid Handler

Echo® 555 Liquid Handler