Workstation for Automated High-Volume Nucleic Acid Extractions Introduced

The ID NIMBUS® Presto assay ready workstation from Hamilton Company offers fast, hands-free nucleic acid extraction of high-volume evidentiary samples such as calcified tissues and other challenging samples. The compact system is conveniently pre-configured and qualified for use with the PrepFiler Forensic DNA Extraction Kit from Thermo Scientific and frees analysts to focus on high value activities such as data interpretation. Up to 24- or 96 samples in volumes ranging from 50 - 5000 µL may be processed simultaneously in microplate or deepwell plate format for use in sensitive downstream analyses.

ID NIMBUS Presto includes a deck-mounted KingFisher Presto purification system from Thermo Scientific and uses magnetic particle-based technology to facilitate rapid, high-quality purification without the risks of manual variability and errors. Barcode scanning automatically creates a chain of custody to independently verify each sample and correlate it with the case file and assigned analyst. Air displacement pipetting technology bypasses the risk of liquid induced contamination, and for the utmost in pipetting accuracy and precision, Hamilton’s Compressed O-Ring Expansion (CO-RE®) tips are recommended for use with ID NIMBUS Presto. Together, the disposable tips and the system’s pipette mandrels create a tight seal without tip distortion or aerosol generation during tip pick-up and ejection. In addition to liquid handling, on-deck gripper paddles use CO-RE technology to transport samples around the deck without the need for manual interactions.

A user-friendly interface guides analysts through assay setup and displays pertinent information regarding each processing step. Additionally, all robotic actions and sample locations may be downloaded for inclusion in case file documentation.