The first product in the new range, which will be introduced throughout 2005, includes high efficiency Escherichia coli strains as chemically competent cells in 96 well plates, which have been validated for automation.
NextGen Sciences is making available E coli strains such as the BL21 (DE3) Competent Cells, which are E coli cells used for protein expression in T7 RNA Polymerase-based systems. These cells are resistant to the lytic bacteriophages T1 and T5.
The range also includes the BL21 (DE3) pLysS. These are chemically competent E.coli cells used for tight control of protein expression in T7 RNA Polymerase-based systems. The cells are resistant to the lytic bacteriophages T1 and T5.
High Efficiency GC5 are E coli cells which have been transformed by heat-shock methods. These competent cells are resistant to the lytic bacteriophages T1 and T5. GC5 are suitable for many molecular biology applications, like generating cDNA libraries from plasmid-based vectors or constructing gene banks.
Blue/white screening for recombinants can be performed by including X-gal and IPTG in the agar plates. The GC5 strain is sensitive to common antibiotics such as ampicillin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline. It is resistant to naladixic acid.
The range is completed by the availability of high efficiency JM109 - E coli cells transformed by heat-shock methods. JM109, a K strain bacterium, is recA- and endA- to minimize recombination and improve the quality of plasmid DNA. In addition, the cells carry the F¢ episome which allows blue/white screening and single-stranded DNA rescue.
Each plate has a unique barcode that includes the plate's part number, batch number and a unique identifier for the plate. This makes it easy to inventory the cells within NextGen Sciences' orchestratorIMS database.
OrchestratorIMS is an information management system, which integrates gene manipulation software and a sample and reagents tracking database with robotic platforms for automated gene cloning and protein expression. The software provides a link between the process of designing an expression construct virtually and how these are made and then expressed in the laboratory, enabling the researcher to plan cloning and expression strategies.
"Upon receipt of the competent cells, a simple barcode scan will enter all of the information about the cells into orchestratorIMS, instantly enabling the user to create an inventory, recording the type of cells, their storage location and availability," said Dr Kevin Auton, CEO NextGen Sciences, explained.
"These are the first of a series of automation-friendly reagents that will be made available from NextGen Sciences that have been validated for automation and are linked directly with orchestratorIMS for complete inventory management," he added.