Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2020
Organization: Gilead
Needs improvement on after sales care for repair and maintenance.
Application Area:Washer/Dispenser
"Great workflow (high throughput). Needs improvement on after sales care for repair and maintenance."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2020
Organization: Samumed
It is super useful.
Application Area:Cell dispenser
"It is super useful. The cassettes are useful, but they clog sometimes. "
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Neon Therapeutics
This will really improve the throughput and efficiency of our assay
Application Area:analyze antibody response
"We have just started using the instrument, but no complaints from any of my users"
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Case Western Reserve University
High quality, robust instrument that works well in various HTS application
Application Area:High throughput screening
"Easy to use, very robust, very little downtime, very positive experience with sales and technical support"
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Pfizer
Effective and reliable for low and high throughput use!
Application Area:Antibody discovery
"I've been really happy with the performance of the EL406 for our assays. It is capable of really effective washing and the dispensers really bring a lot of utility to the instrument. With proper care, clogging is minimal, but does still occur occasionally, mainly in the syringe dispense pins. I wish that there were more options for holding reagent bottles, and that the holder for the peristaltic pump bottle was included with purchase for the price. Overall a really solid performer, and I recommend the larger dispense and waste bottles!"
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: University of Guelph
Once check valve issue was solved it became an instrument we couldn't live without.
Application Area:ELISA automation
"Paired with a BioSpa and reader it becomes a very cost effective automation robot allowing 8 ELISAs to be run concurrently with out user interaction during the run. However it should be noted that certain substrates will destroy the check valves regardless of whether or not they are autoclavable, in potentially less than 24 hours. There are aftermarket solutions to this problem."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Intestinal Health Institute, dallas, Texas
This is the CARDILLAC of any microplate/washer combination
Application Area:ELISA plate preparation for food allergy detection
"This product is like energizer battery which keeps going and going. As long as you follow manufacturer's instructions regarding operation and maintenance, this instrument is value for money. Except for fuse blowing due to normal wear and tear, we have not had any function issue since we purchased it. INOVA diagnostics company recommended it for us and there is no regrets whatsoever. Service specialists are just a stone throw away . When we had a compressor fuse burn out and we called your service center, we were surprised to note it costs just about one dollar and we ordered about six just for next time and your service specialist told us how to replace it on the phone"
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Biomatrica
Great instrument, versatile, excellent customer support!
Application Area:fluorescence and absorbance Assays
"This is a great instrument and useful in multiple applications. For the price and the cabibilities it is very efficient. The customer support, tech services are extremely helpful and informative and have little delay when contacted. The gen5 software is easy to use and technical specialist are helpful and informative. I would highly recommend this and any biotek instrument."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: UMBC
Good, would consider cheaper alternatives in the future.
Application Area:immunology, luminex assays
"Highly reproducible results, great dual-manifold mechanisms, having multiple methods of washing protocol development invaluable. Issues with pin clogging are a detraction."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: The Rockefeller University
Overall an Effective and Reliable Instrument
Application Area:The removal and addition of solutions for various high throughput assays.
"Overall, the Biotek EL406 Plate washer is an efficient and reliable instrument. Protocol design is easier to learn and implement. A service contract is recommended for this instrument as frequent use will result in wearing of the manifold. Service requests are responded to in a prompt and professional manner."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Takeda
We own multiple units and they have been working for years. Great quality product.
Application Area:Compound study in cells
"Easy to integrate with automation system. Work flawless time after time. Results are very repeatable."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Janssen
Highly recommended for labs with low to medium throughput compound screening needs.
Application Area:Cell based assay development
"I've used this product in many different capacities ranging from simple 96 well ELISA plate washing to 384 Luminex xMAP® magnetic bead washing to complex 1536 well high content screening cell fixation and signal development. We also purchased the plate stacker, and once integrated, it significantly reduced plate processing time and for most workflows, enabled the washer to be a truly walk-away instrument."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: UCSF
Great system
Application Area:ELISA's and dispensing in an integrated automation system
"The EL406 works great for our application and we routinely use it in a large bioautomation system."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Eli Lilly&Co.
Great instrument to increase throughput and consistency of ELISAs and other assays
Application Area:Automating steps in measurement of cytokine concentrations from conditioned media or in-vivo samples
"This washer dispenser does a great job plowing thru 10's of plates per day both setting up ELISA plates and washing and adding 2ndary and detection reagents. Has helped with consistency of results and has taken a big ergonomic load off of lab personnel. We are still working on optimizing the magnetic bead capture and washing of those plates but it is easy to develop methods with the liquid handling software."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Novo Nordisk
Makes assay work easier. The technician loves it.
Application Area:Cell assays
"Effective, easy to use, easy to clean. Used for a lot of different applications"
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: LIS
Great value for our money
Application Area:Analyze Metabolities in tissue samples
"We have fewer problem and the instrument is easy to use."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Eurofins Panlabs, Inc.
We could not perform our assays for our clients without the EL406 units.
Application Area:Processing of 384-well cell-based assay plates
"We see very consistent results with our EL406. We routinely calibrate aspiration heights, and we see little to no variation between calibrations. The unit is easy to use, works through our automation platform, and is easy to teach others to use."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2016
Organization: UMass Medical School
Great piece of equipment for affordable and good quality lab automation
Application Area:Monoclonal antibody screening
"It's a flexible platform with very well designed software. We've used it for screening monoclonal antibody supernatants either by ELISA or by staining cell-surface antigens for FACS. We've added a stacker with a robotic arm for increased capability. The fluidics are pretty solid--we haven't had any issues for the 3 years we've owned it. The 96-nozzle washed head makes washing 384-well plates painfully slow, but you can always upgrade. Small suspension cell pellets (~50 K cells) can be dislodged well during washing using the angled dispense in V-bottom wells."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2017
Organization: Human Biology
I love the time savings this plate washer offers.
Application Area:For washing plates, and blocking/prepping plates for ELISA
"I had a Biotek 405TS for years and loved it, but the EL406 is a big step up with far more advanced options. Combined with a plate stacker and the ability to coat/buffer plates, it is a huge time saver."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2015
Organization: AnaSpec EGT Group
Reliable and robust!
Application Area:Assay kits production
"Reliable washer/dispenser: three+ years with no problems, use almost every day. Easy to use software."
Status:
Advanced ReviewerMember since: 2014
Organization: Michigan State University
Consistent results every time
Application Area:High throughput Screening
"Consistent results in 384-well format. It is used routinely in our high throughput screening core from 1 to 100s of plates."
Status:
Advanced ReviewerMember since: 2013
Organization: Georgia Poultry Laboratory
Application Area:We use this product to dispense reagents for ELISA tests, as well as wash the ELISA plates.
"This product is extremely effective for our needs. We run ~80,000 ELISA assays each month. Without the BioTek EL 406's I do not believe we could handle this capacity easily. The BioTek EL 406's are used in conjunction with the Beckman Coulter Biomek NXp LHS. The other LHS used with the EL 406's is the Perkin Elmer Janus. We rarely have issues with the BioTek instruments and all 4 are several years old. The Technical Support for these instruments is also superb, and we have Preventive Maintenance Contracts on each instrument. I wish all of our ELISA equipment was as reliable and durable as the BioTek EL 406 instruments. "
Status:
Advanced ReviewerMember since: 2013
Organization: Genomatica
Application Area:HTP-Screening
"The EL-406 has been a workhorse in our HTP screening efforts. We use it daily for various filling and aspiration protocols and have not have any issues with the machine. Highly recommended."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2014
Organization: Cyprotex
Application Area:Cell Based Assays
"This is excellent for washing and dispensing. The writing of the protocols is relatively easy. The maintenance is straightforward. "
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2012
Organization: Novartis
Application Area:Cell assays
"The EL406 is a workhorse dispenser and washer. We use it all day every day for cell dispensing, washing, and reagent dispensing. On the whole, it is very easy to use and the Liquid Handling control software that it comes with allows very easy protocol programming, validation, and testing. The only drawback is that there is one peristaltic pump and two syringes, so you are limited in how many different solutions you can dispense at once. If that number was increased, the product would be even better!"
Status:
Advanced ReviewerMember since: 2013
Organization: Genomatica
Application Area:HTS Screening
"The EL406 is a very robust, easy to use system. I have had no problems using it and no issues with the system itself having any problems. The one potential negative is that the cassettes used on the peristaltic pump tend to clog and do not seem to stay calibrated very well and need to be replaced often."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2013
Organization: Kelly Scientific for NCATS-NIH
Application Area:Cell based bioassays
"Very easy to use, the user can come up with their own protocols. The flexibility to use 96, 384 well , 1536 well plate heads is great and the cassettes are fairly easy to install and use."
Status:
ReviewerMember since: 2012
Organization: National Institutes of Health
Application Area:Liquid dispenser/washing
"A flexible and easy to use platform for liquid dispensing and microplate washing that utilizes multiple technologies. A great all-in-one solution that I use daily as a key part of both biochemical and cell-based assays. There is a high degree of reliability for 1536-well plate workflows that gives you confidence in results. Does not require the constant adjustment and re-calibration that I have experienced with other platforms. Syringe pump dispensors give excellent performance in sensitive cell dispensing steps. Cell viability is maintained and the heads are more resistant to clogging than peristoltic pump solutions from other vendors."
The Agilent BioTek EL406 washer dispenser is a compact instrument offering fast, full plate washing along with three reagent dispensers. The EL406 capabilities include washing and dispensing for standard assays, plus biomagnetic separation and vacuum filtration protocols.
The Dual-Action manifold optimizes washing for loosely adherent cell monolayers. The patented Ultrasonic Advantage prevents blockages in the manifold tubes before washing, to reduce assay failure. This modular plate washer dispenser offers flexibility with both syringe pump and peristaltic pump dispensers, along with plate washing, on a single platform.