New Labcyte Software Expands Echo™ Applications to Secondary Screening
18 Oct 2006
Labcyte Inc. announces the release of two new software products, one to set up dose-response assays and the other to facilitate cherry-picking, that enhance the applications of its award-winning Echo technology. The Echo 550 and Echo 555 liquid handlers use acoustic energy to transfer nanoliter volumes of fluids, eliminating pipettes, pin tools and nozzles. This not only decreases laboratory expenditures dramatically but provides better results with higher precision and fewer false negatives than can be obtained with traditional fluid transfer techniques.
The new Dose-Response software makes it easy for users of Echo systems to set-up multi-point dose-response assays typical of those analyses used for IC50 and EC50 determinations. The use of Echo technology eliminates complicated serials dilutions and the negative impact they have on analyses. Bristol-Myers Squibb reported in a scientific poster that Echo technology used in IC50 analyses eliminated a large number of false negatives that could exclude some of their most promising drugs. The new Dose-Response software also provides features that cannot be easily achieved with traditional liquid handlers. For example, controls and standards can be scattered across an assay plate rather than restricted to particular columns or rows. This improves statistical analysis and reduces errors due to plate or reader anomalies.
The Cherry-Picking software makes it easy for users of the Echo 550 or Echo 555 to choose specific compounds from library source plates and to transfer them to assay plates in a variety of ways including interplate and intraplate replicates, variable volume transfers and pooled transfers.
Fereshteh Lesani, Labcyte marketing specialist said, “These new software packages were developed in close coordination with current users of Echo technology. With the software, researchers can choose to duplicate existing protocols or switch to new protocols that offer superior results via the elimination of serial or aqueous dilutions and through the improvement of assay plate layout. Based on the expressed needs of users, we expect that these two new software products will increase drug discovery throughput while improving the quality of the results.”
Labcyte Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, provides plastic laboratory supplies, as well as the new Echo 555 liquid handler and the award-winning Echo 550 liquid handler, which are used in seven of the 10 top pharmaceutical companies as well as at leading academic and research institutions and contract research organizations. The Labcyte acoustic liquid handling technology has broad applications in the life science including dispensing equipment, assay systems, particle manufacturing, reagent multispotting for MALDI imaging applications, and living-cell transfer devices. Labcyte has 27 issued U.S. patents, 2issued European patent and additional international filings. For more information, visit the article webpage.
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Echo® 550 Liquid Handler
Beckman Coulter Life SciencesImagine preparing assay plates for siRNA screening, compound screening with biochemical and cell-based assays, PCR reactions and more all on a single liquid handling platform, with no tips and no cross-contamination. Labcyte has developed new acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) parameters that deliver built-in intelligence to enable users to transfer many different fluid types from a single instrument. All Echo systems come pre-calibrated so that you can switch among different fluid types with just a click of the mouse. No further adjustment is required for you to be productive immediately. These developments combine the latest discoveries in wavelength, power and timing requirements for ADE with real-time fluid measurement at multiple points during a run. The resulting algorithms solve some of the most significant liquid handling challenges with volatile, low-surface tension and/or meniscus-shifting fluids. Volumetric accuracy and precision for all fluids tested so far—including buffers, nucleic acid and protein solutions, surfactants, serum and cell culture media—are comparable to established performance with DMSO. The Echo® 550 liquid handler introduced the world to acoustic droplet ejection (ADE). This award-winning instrument remains the proven choice for low-volume liquid handling in leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Like the Echo 520 and Echo 555 liquid handlers, the Echo 550 uses "touchless" ADE transfer technology. ADE uses sound energy to transfer 2.5 nL droplets from Echo-qualified 384- and 1536-well source plates into 96-, 384-, 1536- and 3456-well destination plates. This unique touchless technology eliminates consumable tip costs, washing, and cross-contamination. Unsurpassed volumetric precision (≤ 8% CV) and accuracy (≤ 10% CV) ensure superior results. Independent studies have shown that Echo liquid handlers eliminate false negatives due to sample loss on tip surfaces in low-concentration transfers. Like the Echo 555 liquid handler, the Echo 550 liquid handler reports both fluid volume and DMSO hydration. Applications: Compound management Compound screening siRNA screening Biochemical assays Cell-based assays PCR Genotyping Gene expression