Echo acoustic liquid handler improves discovery of potential therapeutics

When the revolutionary Echo^® acoustic liquid handler is used in the process of discovering potential therapeutics, important drug candidates are identified that are missed using traditional liquid handlers. In a recently issued patent, the global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca describes the discovery of a novel set of potential cancer therapeutics that was found only when the Echo system was used. Other major pharmaceutical companies have also reported that the Echo liquid handler was a critical platform in discovering drug candidates.

“Echo systems have been described as revolutionary by our customers, who include all ten of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Our products play a key part of the drug discovery process for biotech companies, contract research organizations and academic institutions”

The Echo system uses acoustic energy to transfer liquids during the drug discovery testing process, avoiding problems associated with transferring potential drug candidates with pipette tips. Drug candidates can be lost when pipette tips become clogged or if the candidate sticks to the tip. Test results can also be compromised by dirty tips or by chemicals leaching from tips. These errors are compounded when doing dose-response experiments. The Echo system reduces false negative and false positive results, leading to better identification of potential therapies.

"Echo systems have been described as revolutionary by our customers, who include all ten of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Our products play a key part of the drug discovery process for biotech companies, contract research organizations and academic institutions," said Labcyte Chief Executive Officer and President, Mark Fischer-Colbrie. "Echo systems increase productivity, significantly reduce costs and most importantly, generate better results—results that may lead to new therapies. This path-breaking approach of using sound to move liquids has also been adopted by customers for qPCR, siRNA testing, tissue-imaging mass spectroscopy, cell transfers and protein crystallography."

SOURCE Labcyte