New tools of the trade

New products launched onto the market for drug discovery applications this week include a kit for isolating RNA from whole blood, a DNA microarray for comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH), an automated mammalian cell picker and a reagent dispenser module for an established microplate reader.

The new RiboPure-Blood Kit​ from Ambion​ combines two methods of RNA purification to isolate total RNA directly from whole blood - without prior fractionation to recover white blood cells. Ambion claims that use of the tool results in high yields of pure RNA from whole blood in less than 30 minutes.

The kit includes DNA-free reagents, for removal of genomic DNA contamination and to make the resulting RNA suitable for challenging applications, such as real-time RT-PCR and array analysis. The company has also bundled in its RNAlater product for storage of whole blood at room temperature for three days or longer without RNA loss.

Spectral Genomics​ has launched its Spectral Chip 2600 DNA Array​ for CGH applications in cytogenetics and cancer research. The array offers approximately 1 megabase resolution across the human genome, and is part of an expanding product line of human Bacterial Artifical Chromosome (BAC) clone arrays for high resolution, sensitive, reproducible detection of chromosomal abnormalities.

Spectral claims its products provide an improvement in resolution and sensitivity over conventional karyotyping technology and does not require cell culturing to prepare samples for array analysis. The Spectral Chips range is accompanied by the firm's Spectralware software, used to display chromomosonal abnormalities and their loci within the genome as interpreted from images produced by array scanners.

Genetix​ has introduced the ClonePix​, said to be the world's first commercial automated mammalian cell colony picker. The system is designed to automatically image, identify and select hybridoma cell colonies from either semi-solid media or monolayers growing on cell culture dishes and deposit them into microplates for sub-culture. Automation of monoclonal antibody cell picking by the ClonePix gives unparalleled throughput of clones for analysis and reproducibility of clone isolation.

In order to make a monoclonal antibody, thousands of antibody-producing clones have to be screened, a process that until now has been carried out manually, examining culture dishes by eye and picking out individual cell colonies using a pipette. The ClonePix will enable a lab to screen over 5,000 colonies per week - compared to up to 1,000 using traditional methods - and may also be used to automate the selection of transfected cells and cell lines for drug screening.

Finally, Bio-Tek Instruments​ has released a new reagent dispenser​ option for its popular Synergy HT multi-detection microplate reader. These will increase the application range and versatility of the machine, according to the company. Along with absorbance, fluorescence, time resolved fluorescence and luminescence measurements, this new addition to the Synergy HT series now enables ultra-fast kinetic ('flash' type) applications. Typical applications includes flash luminescence assays (such as ATP determinations) and flash fluorescence assays (such as ion uptake studies).