Tecan releases automated microarray hybridisation stations
Pro series of automated microarray hybridisation stations, which
providing fully automated slide processing, from pre-hybridisation
to automated slide drying.
The HS 400 Pro and HS 4800 Pro are ideal for automating a variety of microarray research applications, including DNA and protein arrays, and in situ hybridisation.
The HS 400 Pro is the instrument that is suitable for small to medium laboratories wanting to process 1-4 slides per run. The HS 4800 Pro offers the higher capacity of up to 48 slides per run.
Microarrays have emerged as indispensable research tools for gene expression profiling and mutation analysis. New classifications of cancer subtypes, the dissection of yeast metabolism and large-scale genotyping of human single nucleotide polymorphisms are important results, which have been obtained with this technique.
These new instruments have been designed to help generate less background and fewer artifacts, while increasing detection sensitivity.
Both systems feature Tecan's ABS (Active Bubble Suppression) system, which minimises the risk of bubble formation within the chambers, eliminates hybridisation artifacts and enhance the result consistency.
The new systems benefit from a variety of low volume hybridisation chambers that save precious samples and are also available with novel dual chambers, interchangeable with single area chambers, to automate the processing of two independent sub-arrays per slide without the risk of carryover.
The added advantage of improved agitation of viscous buffers during hybridisation has led to better sensitivity and specificity and helps to decrease hybridisation times.
The evolving technology of microarrays provides a tool to improve the applications in the field of molecular biology. To generate high quality, reliable data, care must be taken in all steps of a microarray experiment.
To enhance the sensitivity, reproducibility and throughput of microarrays, the standardisation through automation is a key to eliminate multiple variables of the experiment and thus increase quality and consistency of the results.
With this in mind the HS 400 Pro and HS 4800 are suitable for genomic applications such as gene expression, profiling, gene regulation and pharmacogenomic studies up to the validation of gene expression results by in situ hybridisation techniques.
Researchers in proteomics are able to perform a range of applications including the processing of protein-, peptide- and antibody-arrays.
The HS 400 and HS 4800 Hybridisation Stations are part of Tecan's Gene Expression Suite, a range of instruments and solutions offering opportunities for genomics and proteomics research - from microarray processing and analysis up to the validation of gene expression in tissue samples.
Development of high-throughput 'biochip' technologies has enhanced our ability to study biology and explore the molecular basis of disease. Biochips enable parallel molecular analyses to be carried out in a miniaturized format with a high throughput.
For instance, gene expression profiling plays a role in streamlining several critical steps in modern pharmaceutical development: new target gene identification, lead drug identification and optimisation, drug toxicity profiling, and the monitoring of clinical trials.
