Cell Based Assays
Cell-based assays have always been a powerful tool in biological research laboratories. Recently, cell-based assays have become preferred over traditional biochemical assays by both the pharmaceutical and biotech industries because they provide a more in vivo-like environment for biochemical experiments. However, such assays demand special methods and techniques that are not easily done manually and can be better addressed by automation.
The development of automation for cell-based assays involves a number of technical considerations. The cells typically require control of temperature, pH, humidity, and mixing in order to maintain viability, sustain growth and interact with test compounds. The cells must also be protected from contamination from external agents. In the case of bio-hazardous cells, the protection of laboratory personnel is another necessity. Therefore, an automation system must offer environment control, cross-contamination protection, and precise and accurate liquid handling of cells to ensure homogenous cell suspensions. The VERSA 1100 Workstation offers the capabilities you expect from a high-performance cell-based assay workstation.
The VERSA 1100 Workstation is equipped with an 8- or 96-channel air-displacement pipetting head and a 5-channel ReagentDrop cluster to ensure accurate and precise dispensing of culture media, buffers and reagents. The 96-tip aspirator removes culture media or supernatants in seconds. The integrated plate gripper ensures the handling of plate covers and transfer of plates to and from the CO2 incubator and plate washer, as well as between deck positions. The on-deck shaker-heater module is capable of maintaining single-cell suspensions or promoting the interaction of reagents with cells at desired incubations. Any cross-contamination and biohazard risk is minimized by the UV-HEPA hood that shields the moving parts and the deck of the workstation.
Features:
- Liquid handling head: 8- or 96-channel air-displacement pipetting head
- 5-channel ReagentDrop: ensures accurate and precise dispensing of culture media, buffers and reagents
- 96 tip aspirator: removes culture media or supernatant in seconds
- Plate gripper: handles plate covers and transfers plates to and from the CO2 incubator and over the deck. It also integrates the plate washer with the workstation
- Shaker-heater module: capable of maintaining single-cell suspensions or promoting the interaction of reagents with cells at desired incubations
- UV-HEPA hood: minimises cross-contamination and biohazard as it shields the moving parts and the deck of the workstation.
Applications:
- Cell cultures and maintenance
- Screening of compound libraries
- Drug safety screening
- Drug efficacy
- Chemical toxicity
- Automated patch clamp screening
- Recombinant protein production assays
- Virus production assays