gDNA simultaneously extracts 96 samples in 57 minutes
Akonni Biosystems today announced the availability of a new family of "smart tip" extraction products for rapidly purifying human genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (gDNA) on the Hamilton Microlab® STARline of robotic liquid handling workstations. Starting from fresh or frozen blood, buffy coat, and soon tissue or cells, these new TruTip kits extract superior quality gDNA simultaneously from eight to 96 samples in just 57 minutes. The system does not require a magnetic head, vacuum manifold, centrifuge, or other space-consuming or expensive capital equipment. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) inhibition due to bead carryover is also eliminated since there are no magnetic beads required, as are errors due to clogging typically caused by vacuum manifolds.
The patented TruTip family of products uses a porous nucleic acid binding matrix embedded in a pipette tip, and extracts DNA or ribonucleic acid (RNA) using well-understood chaotropic salt chemistry. This n ew kit for gDNA completes the entire extraction process (including a fully automated onboard heat incubation step) in less than an hour (20 minutes for heat incubation and 37 minutes for extraction) and is over 250 percent faster than most traditional high-throughput approaches. TruTip also delivers "gold-standard-equivalent" yields and equal or superior purity and reproducibility, by comparison.
"TruTip is an industry-first smart consumable for sample preparation created specifically to reduce bottlenecks in high-throughput genetic testing. Designed for systems that cost a hundred thousand dollars less than its competitors', it promotes a higher level of productivity for laboratories performing medium to large numbers of DNA extractions per day," states Kevin Banks, Ph.D., Vice President Strategic Development at Akonni Biosystems. Banks adds, "We are excited to extend TruTip support to liquid handing workstations manufactured by Hamilton Robotics, as these systems are universally recognized as being the most reliable and highest performing in the industry."
"Akonni’s ground-breaking approach to nucleic acid extraction will be an excellent addition to the tool set Hamilton supports for automating our customers' laboratory processes," commented Jose Carle, Ph.D., Vice President of Robotics at Hamilton. "The extra deck space our customers will save by using TruTip will enable them to more easily integrate multiple processes in a much simplified, end-to-end approach."
TruTip gDNA Kits for use on the STAR line of workstations are now available for early-access customers. TruTip applications for extraction of gDNA from saliva collected using the Oragene®lDISCOVER and Oragene®lDx Collection Kit from DNA Genotek, Inc., a subsidiary of OraSure Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSUR), will be available soon, as well as for swab and Scope® mouthwash input sample types. TruTip gDNA Kits can be used with a variety of back-end analytical tools, including qPCR, real time PCR, digital PCR, microarrays, and mid-multiplex bead-based systems, as well as traditional and next-generation sequencing systems.