Tecan links with EMD for proteomics tools
Biosciences in the area of automated systems for medium- to
high-throughput protein extraction, screening and purification. The
collaboration will focus on companies and laboratories engaged in
proteomics research.
Switzerland's Tecan has forged a co-marketing alliance with EMD Biosciences in the area of automated systems for medium- to high-throughput protein extraction, screening and purification. The collaboration will focus on companies and laboratories engaged in proteomics research.
Tecan has developed a leading position in robotics and liquid handling over the last few years, and will contribute its Genesis and Freedom EVO workstations to the project. These are already widely used for automating protein sample preparation and extraction, solid-phase and magnetic-based affinity protocols and expression and solubility screening procedures.
However, the combination of the Tecan systems with EMD's Novagen reagents kits and RoboPop automated protein purification system "provides powerful automation systems that address many bottlenecks associated with protein biochemistry research," according to Jan Timmers, Tecan's head of Biopharma and Clinical Diagnostics.
Manual methods of ample preparation, screening and purification of recombinant proteins are tedious, labour-intensive and time consuming, according to Tecan.
EMD's RoboPop system is well suited to protein purification because it eliminates the need for centrifugation and means that the entire process - from cell growth through protein purification - can be performed in one deep well plate. In addition, the company is contributing to the collaboration its toolkits for extracting intact proteins from total cultures, as well as reagents for magnetic affinity purification.
"This collaboration will provide a complete, optimised combination of instrumentation, reagents and protocols that will facilitate rapid progress in proteomics research," commented Robert Mierendorf, EMD's chief technology officer.
Users will be able to purify proteins in 96-well microplate format with either vacuum filtration or magnetic bead separation methods, while protein expression and solubility screening assays can be conducted using the integrated Tecan GENios Plus microplate reader, according to the Swiss company.
EMD is a subsidiary of Germany's Merck KGaA and is headquartered in Wisconsin, USA.
