Tecan and SciRobotics offer integrated colony picking for molecular biology

Männedorf, Switzerland, February 15, 2011 – Tecan and SciRobotics today announced the launch of the integrated Pickolo colony-picker for the Freedom EVO® liquid handling platforms, providing customers with a complete solution for automation of molecular biology workflows, from cloning to PCR sequencing or cell-based screening.  

 

SciRobotics developed Pickolo specifically for Freedom EVO. This application enables fully automated colony picking from both petri dish and multi-well plate formats, combining high resolution digital imaging technology with flexible, easy-to-use analysis software to select individual colonies. The selection criteria are based on user-defined criteria, including size, shape and color. The Pickolo provides reliable, automated picking of up to 800 colonies an hour, and is fully interfaced with Freedom EVOware®, ensuring seamless integration with upstream and downstream processes for improved laboratory productivity. The technology can be extended to be used for fluorescent labeled colonies, including a Tecan detection device.

 

“Incorporation of colony picking onto the Freedom EVO platform offers our customers end-to-end automation for molecular biology,” said Dr Tamara Brown, Market Manager for Cells and Proteins at Tecan. “The low cost Pickolo system can be quickly and easily installed on existing workstations, providing an off-the-shelf solution.”

 

To find out more about automated colony picking on Tecan’s Freedom EVO platforms,
visit http://www.tecan.com/handler.asp?id=3488

 

 

For more information please contact

Tecan Trading AG
Tanja Sager
Seestrasse 103
CH-8708 Männedorf

Tel +41 (0)44 922 81 11
Fax +41 (0)44 922 81 12

info@tecan.com
www.tecan.com

 

About Tecan

Tecan (www.tecan.com) is a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics, and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production and distribution of instruments and automated workflow solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. As an original equipment manufacturer, Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components that are then distributed by partner companies. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both Europe and North America and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2009, Tecan generated sales of CHF 392 million (USD 361.2 million; EUR 259.6 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TK: TECN/Reuters: TECZn.S/ ISIN CH0012100191).