The Digest brings you technical resources, expert tips, guidance on regulations and standards, as well as discussions with key industry leaders – that focus on pipetting and automated liquid handling processes.
With budgets forever tightening and patient samples being limited, reduction of repeat testing has become a common goal of almost all laboratories regardless of their operation. Many factors contribute to assay variability, one of which is instrumentation. Removing this source of error in the testing process is a tangible way of controlling and minimizing risk. […]
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Highly accurate and precise liquid handling is critical if the results of HTS experiments are to be reliable. However, liquid handlers are prone to variation and error and need to be verified using a standardized methodology. The need for a standardized verification method becomes increasingly important when multiple liquid handlers are used in the same […]
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We discussed some important liquid handling issues with G. Steven Bova MD, CEO of Archivex and FiDiPro Professor at the Institute of Biomedical Technology at the University of Tampere, Finland. In this Digest blog we share his responses to our questions.
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In response to the growing demand by users of automated pipetting systems, Artel presented a proposal on the development of an international standard addressing the performance assessment of such instruments. The proposal, presented by A. Bjoern Carle, PhD during the ACHEMA conference in Frankfurt, Germany, was well received and sparked a lively debate about issues […]
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It may be argued that the largest challenge presented by using a liquid handling robot is the assumption that the robot is doing what it is “supposed” to be doing. The robot may be doing exactly what the user told it to do, but is that really what the user wanted? The examples presented in […]
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Mixers are great – they give us a chance to meet new people, and while some may consider them a waste of time, they can spark ideas and relationships that can change lives. In the assay world, mixers enable reagents and samples to be mixed together so that reactions can occur successfully. In this application […]
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Top tips to facilitate assay transfer within and across laboratories. To prevent liquid handling problems and guarantee successful assay transfer, a laboratory can follow three basic steps…
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MIQE Makes a Difference in PCR A guideline such as Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-time PCR Experiments (MIQE) is a good example of how a science-based guideline can impact customers and suppliers, becoming a kind of “voluntary regulation” which aims to improve the quality of laboratory research. Compliance with this guideline allows researchers and […]
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This application note explains how to create and test a custom dye reagent for checking liquid handler performance for assay-specific reagent types. Users can check a liquid handler using dye-based reagents that are closer in composition to their assay reagents, such as DMSO and 20% glycerol.
Read More The US FDA has issued revised recommendation for process validation which includes better means for understanding and controlling sources of variation. While this document refers to control of manufacturing processes, the same principles apply to measurement processes in the laboratory. In fact, it is impossible to demonstrate that a manufacturing process is in control unless […]
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