Laboratory Automation Solution for Compound Management Introduced

Tecan will soon be launching a new Fluent™ Laboratory Automation Solution designed to offer greater throughput and flexibility for compound management workflows. Building on the success of the Fluent™ cell-based assay workstation launched in summer 2014, this second application-oriented system introduces a number of new hardware and software options that simplify and improve the productivity of compound management and assay plate generation activities. The compound management workstation is ideally suited to drug discovery laboratories and centralised compound library facilities, offering a host of features intended to streamline day-to-day activities such as daughter plate generation, plate reformatting and hit picking.

Liquid handling versatility has been increased with the introduction of washable fixed tips for the instrument’s Flexible Channel Arm. Complementing the existing disposable tip options to provide cost-effective reagent and compound distribution, as well as cap piercing capabilities, the new fixed tips are also available in a low volume option, offering reliable pipetting below 0.5 µl to help minimise compound consumption and enable effective serial dilutions. Labware logistics have also been enhanced with the addition of a tube handling option for the Robotic Gripper Arm (RGA) and a Stacker for SLAS-format labware, which is ideally suited to high capacity tip storage for increased walkaway times.

These new hardware options are fully supported by the platform’s FluentControl™ software, which includes a number of new applications and pre-programmed ‘Smart Commands’ intended to streamline day-to-day activities such as plate replication, plate reformatting and hit picking. To simplify integration with upstream and downstream processes, the software will also support both worklisting and 2D barcode scanning, ensuring the Fluent Laboratory Automation Solution for compound management fits seamlessly into even the most demanding of workflows.