Automated Pipetting Systems Enable Major Savings on Real-time PCR Reagents

Eppendorf's new on-line calculator shows how reagent savings of several thousand euros per year are possible by using epMotion's precise, automated pipetting to dramatically reduce real-time PCR setup volumes.
Real-time PCR analysis is expensive, due to the high cost of reagents. Eppendorf's epMotion automated pipetting systems provide reproducible, high precision pipetting, enabling real-time PCR setup volumes to be reduced to as little as 10 µl or below. To demonstrate the sheer scale of the potential savings on reagent costs from using epMotion, Eppendorf has created a powerful on-line cost-savings calculator.

Users simply enter the price of their PCR reagents, the number of samples per reagent package, their current setup volume and the number of reactions carried out per week. The annual savings which would be made by reducing reaction volumes to 10 µl are then automatically calculated. The results can be dramatic, as Holger Eggert, Eppendorf AG epMotion Product Manager, points out, ?Annual savings on reagent costs in a busy laboratory can easily be several thousand pounds, satisfying a central demand within the real-time PCR user community. Typically, the cost of the epMotion is paid for within a year, based on performing 96 real-time PCR reactions each day.'

Cost savings are not the only benefit of the epMotion Workstation: automated pipetting and dispensing enhances the speed and reproducibility of results and eliminates the errors associated with repetitive manual pipetting tasks. The modular design, extensive range of system accessories and intuitive software make it simple to automate any liquid-handling operation.