QIAGEN uses INTEGRA’s handheld and benchtop electronic liquid handling technologies to expedite and standardize nucleic acid isolation and PCR setup methods in its Genomic Services division.
This enhances the throughput and accuracy of QIAGEN’s molecular testing procedures, helping its customers to develop innovative approaches for accurately diagnosing, preventing, and treating various diseases.
The QIAGEN Genomic Services laboratory in Hilden, Germany, offers sample-to-insight molecular testing solutions as part of the company's global assistance for scientists in the life sciences and diagnostics industries.
Its 'fee-for-service' solution encompasses everything from initial sample handling and preparation to thorough analytical results, using a diverse range of extraction kits and analytical methods to meet the needs of varied customer projects.
Performing high-throughput testing while remaining adaptable to particular project requirements requires flexible workflow solutions.
Dr David Löper, Lab Manager at QIAGEN Genomic Services, explained: “We are constantly adapting our testing workflows to accommodate different sample types and cater to diverse customer needs.
This prompted us to look for versatile liquid handling solutions that would reduce our manual workload and enhance laboratory efficiency. We initially wanted a compact and easy-to-use device with a 96-channel pipetting head that would integrate seamlessly with our existing labware and sample preparation workflows.
Dr David Löper, Lab Manager at QIAGEN Genomic Services
“We introduced INTEGRA’s VIAFLO 96 handheld electronic pipette – as well as VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipettes for sample reformatting – almost 10 years ago, helping to speed up our repetitive sample preparation steps and increase testing capacity.
“We also acquired 2 ASSIST PLUS pipetting robots during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide workflow automation and allow us to drastically scale up our PCR testing capabilities for employee screening purposes.
Image Credit: QIAGEN
During the internal COVID-19 screening workflows, the lab collected primary biological samples from its personnel in tube formats. These samples were semi-automatically prepared for PCR using a 4-channel VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipette, which was placed on an ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot. The robot transported samples from tubes to 96-well plates.
Setting up a whole plate took approximately 15 minutes. The PCR preparation and amplification processes were then set up in 384-well plates on the ASSIST PLUS in a virtually fully automated process using an 8-channel VOYAGER pipette.
David explained the benefits of this approach over the lab’s previous sample preparation methods: “Setting up PCR plates with the ASSIST PLUS is far faster and more straightforward than our previous method, significantly improving our workflow.
“We have increasingly used the ASSIST PLUS and VOYAGER to transfer samples from individual tubes into 96-well plates, whether transferring the entire sample or just the supernatant after an initial treatment, ensuring greater reproducibility across our molecular testing protocols.
This approach ultimately improves the lab’s workflow and throughput, as David described: “We typically take on projects involving a few hundred to a few thousand samples, but some projects require us to prepare up to 11,000 samples for molecular analysis in parallel.
“Thanks to the INTEGRA instruments and software, the entire process is easy to manage. For example, we routinely use a VIAFLO 96 pipette in hands-free automatic mode for nucleic acid extraction. This means we just have to place the plates on the device, swap out buffers or sample plates, and press a button – it works seamlessly.
“One of the biggest advantages of the VIAFLO 96 is being able to program complex mixing steps for 96 samples simultaneously, which would otherwise be tedious and error-prone to perform purely by hand.
“Another benefit of the small, standalone VIAFLO 96 is that, if clogging occurs – which is common with certain sample types – someone can quickly identify and resolve the issue. This wouldn't be possible on large, stationary automation platforms without disrupting the rest of the workflow.
“We chose to partner with INTEGRA because the VIAFLO 96 pipettes allow both manual and automatic liquid handling modes for workflow flexibility and, more recently, we saw the potential of using the ASSIST PLUS to fully automate our repetitive tasks for more reproducibility.
“The devices are very straightforward to use and program using the VIALINK or VIALAB software, and fit perfectly into our lab space.
“Overall, the INTEGRA products have significantly enhanced our productivity and consistency, which is crucial for managing high-throughput genomics workflows and speeding up project completion for our customers. I’ve always appreciated the excellent communication between INTEGRA and the lab, and the company’s technical support is fantastic. Whenever I need assistance, a specialist stops by to help us troubleshoot or adjust our workflows, as well as show us what is new on the market. INTEGRA’s products are always so interesting, and I am happy to recommend them to colleagues because they fill a unique niche.
About INTEGRA Biosciences
INTEGRA provides innovative solutions for liquid handling and media preparation applications that serve the needs of its customers in research, diagnostics and quality control laboratories.
The company’s instruments and plastic consumables are developed and manufactured in Zizers, Switzerland, and Hudson, NH, USA. In order to remain close to its customers, the company maintains a direct sales and support organization in North America, the UK, France and Germany, as well as a network of over 100 highly trained distribution partners worldwide.
In recent years INTAGRA has focused on developing a new and technologically advanced range of handheld electronic pipettes which are simple to use and meet the ergonomic needs of their customers. Today, the company is proud to offer the widest range of electronic pipettes in the market, spanning a range from single channel pipettes up to 384-channel benchtop instruments.
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