Lab Automation show: new product round-up
showcased the latest laboratory equipment and technological
developments which are featured in a round-up of new apparatus that
could prove useful in drug discovery.
Northstar Scientific showed off a range of microplate instrumentation from Bio-Tek Instruments including the Synergy HT Multi-detection Microplate Reader. Designed for fluorescence and absorbance measurements an emphasis has been particularly placed on sensitive glow luminescence measurements.
Unlike many multi-detection microplate readers, the Synergy HT utilises a unique dual-optics design allowing the investigator to have two different reading modes without compromise.
When making fluorescence determinations, the Synergy HT uses a tungsten halogen lamp with interference filters for wavelength specificity in conjunction with a PMT detector.
The use of a xenon flash lamp allows for both UV and visible light absorbance measurements.
The Synergy HT reader also maintains a 4-Zone temperature control that ensures superior temperature uniformity necessary for kinetic assays. With a compact footprint and robot-accessible carrier design, the Synergy HT is also compatible with most automated systems.
NorthStar Scientific, Bio-Tek Instruments' official UK partner, also announced the release of the Elx450 Select CW, which becomes the newest addition to Bio-Tek's Elx405 series of microplate washers.
The piece of kit is primarily designed to wash even the most non-adherent cell layers without the loss of cells due to overly vigorous flow rates. At home with both 96- and 384- well microplates with no change in hardware or software, the washer has an adjustable fluid flow rate providing application flexibility, from cell assays to ELISA's.
Digital imaging specialists Nikon, launched their new Nikon DS-1QM digital camera, said to be 2.5 times more efficient and 30 per cent more sensitive than ordinary low light level camera, making their new 12-bit monochrome digital camera more accurate when measuring fluorescence intensities, quantifying the signals it detects.
The product's sensitivity will prove useful in providing an insight into the workings of living samples in full colour making it suitable for many applications in the life sciences, including, drug pathogen reactions, drug development cell pathogen interactions and cell signalling
And finally, Bibby Sterilin, a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of glassware and science equipment, took the opportunity to launch a new range of Iwaki glass based tissue culture and assay plates, that combines the convenience of standard multiwell plates with the optical clarity of an ultra thin and uniform glass base.
The company claim the glass base offers a number of key benefits over conventional polystyrene alternatives, optical clarity makes the plates ideal for high transmittance microscope scanning.
The plates are also suitable for highly sensitive fluorescence and confocal microscopy applications such as receptor-ligand detection through flouorescent probes, cell based assay and low-end sensitivity detections.
The culture packs are individually packed and are available in 6, 24, and 96 well formats. Assay plates are supplied non-sterile in packs of 5 and are available in 96 and 384 well formats.
