The Kohler Lab at Umeå University, Sweden, uses liquid handling solutions from INTEGRA Biosciences to improve the efficiency of its Flexible Ageing Screening Technology (FAST) platform, which uses automated high throughput approaches to investigate aging and mitochondrial function.
Image Credit: Umeå University
INTEGRA’s WELLJET reagent dispenser and the MINI 96 portable electronic pipette have become an integral part of the team’s high throughput workflows. The WELLJET is used to automatically fill plates, removing a major bottleneck previously performed using standard multichannel pipettes. The MINI 96 reformats samples between 96 and 384 well plates, and has automated the flow cytometry staining process.
The WELLJET was the ideal solution to fully automate the filling of plates with different media. It’s really an outstanding tool because it’s so quick and easy to write the programs, and it has made our whole approach so much simpler. Our second bottleneck was transfers, which we performed using multichannel pipettes, taking at least 10 to 15 minutes. With the MINI 96, it takes a matter of seconds. This was often a frustrating workflow, but the INTEGRA products have made it very easy, removing bottlenecks and major sources of human error. INTEGRA products also appealed to us as we try to avoid plastic waste as much as we can. The reusable, sterilizable cassettes of the WELLJET allow us to save more resources. Ultimately, it frees up our time to focus on the science rather than repetitive pipetting, and gives us a much easier and more reliable way to perform our high-throughput screens.”
Andreas Kohler, Assistant Professor, Umeå University
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