A Low Cost Solution to Increasing Throughput, Saving Time and Improving Results for Plate Based Applications

Are you struggling to keep up with your sample throughput using a standard multichannel pipette but can’t justify the expense and complexity of moving up to a fully automated liquid handling platform?

You know it would improve your efficiency, save time, reduce stress and improve your results, but is just not economically viable.

Maybe you already use a laboratory robot but have some samples that need processing in a sterile or controlled environment. So, do you need a complimentary pipetting system with a small enough footprint to be used in a laminar flow or safety cabinet?

The Rainin Liquidator™96 could be the answer to your prayers.

This 96 well manual bench top pipetting system is used just like a standard manual pipette so needs no special training. Accurate and efficient, it maximises your workflow, without the need for complicated programming or dedicated technician time. This incredibly fast system can be used for a wide variety of applications: Plate & Mother-Daughter replication, Reformatting from 96 to 384-well, Washing steps, Dilutions, ELISA/EIA, Time sensitive assays.

Fast

Using the Liquidator 96, a novice operator unfamiliar with the system can fill ten 96-well plates accurately and reproducibly with 100μl/well of solution from a single reservoir, using the same tips, in less than 4 minutes. This is equivalent to only 20 seconds per plate.

Compact

Liquidator 96 has an incredibly small footprint of only 38cm wide x 33cm deep x 40cm high. It is completely mobile and fits anywhere on your bench or in a laminar flow cabinet.

Simple and Comfortable to Use

Liquidator 96 operates just like a manual pipette so is immediately available for use by all researchers, without the need for specialist technical knowledge or even access to a power supply.

The base of the unit houses two sliding plate holders that move along the y-axis, each of which can hold two 96-well plates; typically, one position is used to hold a box of 96 Liquidator LTS tips. Above these holders is a gantry that allows a pipetting head assembly to smoothly move along the x-axis and to be positioned directly over either of the two holders. Attached to the head assembly is a 96-well liquid head that can move down along the z-axis, closer to the holders.

A micrometer is used to set the precise volume required for each tip, an aspirate/dispense lever moves samples in and out of the tips and a load/disengage mechanism attaches and ejects tips.

The forces required to load and eject the patented Liquidator LTS tips are extremely low and do not place any burden on the researcher even if it is used all day. The operating mechanism is similar to a pipette, with a home position, a first stop and blowout to remove the remaining sample volume in the tip. It provides a robust and precise, yet simple system which is under the control of the user at all times.

Many applications can now be considered operationally feasible with the Liquidator 96, providing greater flexibility to every lab and enabling a broader variety of throughput strategies that were not possible before. All aspects of genomic, proteomic and glycomic research can now take advantage of the flexibility of the Liquidator 96 in a diverse range of applications.

The Liquidator Manual 96 well Pipetting System brings Flexibility and Productivity to the Genomics Workflow

Scientists at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (CCDB) have been enjoying the benefits that the Rainin Liquidator 96 brings in helping to advance their research. They are involved in the 'International Barcode of Life' project that is developing a reference database of short standardised gene regions. The aim is to identify and discover 5 million specimens from 500,000 species over the next five years.

Since 2009 the CCDB has processed approximately 300,000 samples per year from animal, plant and fungal sources. Samples follow a typical Genomics Workflow, with DNA extraction, PCR amplification and Sequencing of DNA barcodes.

Dr Natalia Ivanova, is Lead DNA Scientist at CCDB, she routinely uses the Rainin Liquidator 96 which plays a fundamental role in the numerous liquid handling procedures required to process her DNA samples.

Application 1:
DNA Extraction from Animal and Plant samples

A typical day involves processing 20-40 plates using a variety of sample sources. For robotic DNA extraction, the Liquidator 96 is used to set up the sample plate prior to transfer to the automated platform. It’s flexibility enables quick and easy, one-handed volume change between steps. The four working platforms are ideal for moving back and forth between various sample preparation processes.

The Liquidator is then used for adding protein wash buffer during the wash and precipitation stages.

Finally it assists with the sample elution until the plate containing pure DNA is ready for further analyses.

Dr Ivanova says that using the Liquidator 96 is advantageous as it "..allows you to control the speed for slow aspiration and dispense. You can change volume in a single motion to move to the next step without interruption. This prevents introduction of air bubbles and contamination."

Application 2:
DNA Amplification using PCR

To set up PCR plates, 2μl of extracted DNA sample is dispensed into a pre-made PCR plate containing master mix. Liquidator enables the easy handling of such small volumes.

Application 3:
Cycle Sequencing PCR Reaction Setup

Cycle sequencing analysis is performed to obtain the nucleotide sequence of the Bar Code Region.

It requires highly accurate and precise volume measurements. Prior to cycle sequencing Liquidator 96 performs 3-fold dilution of the PCR products and then addition to the pre-made sequencing plates.

It is also used to add the EDTA during product clean up to remove the dye terminator before sequencing.


Dr Ivanova describes her work in an applications video that can be viewed at: www.anachem.co.uk/Videos/liquidator_genomics_application or scan the QR code with your Smartphone for direct access.

For more information on the Rainin Liquidator 96, or to arrange a demonstration in your laboratory to see how it could help improve your application throughput and results, contact Anachem.