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Tecan Journal
Life Sciences and Partnering Business
40 years of Cavro®
pages 6-7
Rapid, automated isolation
of buffy coat benefits DNA
extraction
pages 20-21
Making advances
in the battle against
autoimmune disease
pages 26-27
Edition 3/2012
Protecting the nation
pages 16-17

2 CEO WELCOME TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Welcome
Welcome to the latest issue of the
Tecan Journal
Tecan has a long history and tradition in the
OEM market and, as we move into the fall,
we celebrate the milestone 40th anniversary
of Cavro®. For four decades, instrument
designers have relied on Tecan Cavro branded
components to provide innovative and
reliable liquid handling products that can
be applied to a wide range of applications.
As part of Tecan’s broad OEM product
portfolio – from components such as pumps,
valves and robotic modules, to full system
solutions and instruments that partners
incorporate with their specific applications
and tests – the Cavro brand is a key element
in the Company’s success as the ‘OEM partner
of choice’ for leading diagnostic and life
science companies.
We continue to enhance and broaden
the functionalities of the market-leading
Freedom EVO® liquid handling platform with
new modules and applications. The launch of
the new Air LiHa air displacement pipetting
arm – which provides greater versatility
than ever before – is generating a lot of
interest and, to help meet ever-increasing
quality and regulatory demands, we have
recently released the QC Kit, offering a total
solution for liquid handling performance
verification testing.
This issue also includes news of Tecan’s
success at the 2012 SLAS Asia Conference
and Exhibition, as well as details of the
forthcoming Tecan Symposium which
will focus on the expanding role of mass
spectrometry in life sciences and diagnostics.
Plus, we have the usual diverse array of
customer applications that depend on our
expertise in providing automated solutions.
We hope you enjoy the issue.
Gérard Vaillant, Acting CEO

page 9
Cavro Air Displacement
Pipettor provides the key
to automated sonochemical
synthesis of nanoparticles
Tecan Symposium comes
to Boston
pages 24 - 25
pages 14 - 15
page 11
Contents
CONTENTS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
2 CEO Welcome
4 Tecan US relocates to bigger
and better premises
4 Cornelias celebrates 25 years
at Tecan
5 Tecan enjoys success at 2012 SLAS
Asia Conference and Exhibition
5 Increased flexibility and choice
for Cavro Centris Pump
6 - 7 40 years of Cavro
8 Cornell Cup success for
Tecan-sponsored team
9 Tecan Symposium comes to Boston
10 Tecan showcases the Freedom EVO
workstation configured for ELISAs
to delegates visiting from Chinese
blood centers
11 Joining the digital age
12 - 13 A winning combination for
nephrology research
14 - 15 Biopharma by design
16 - 17 Protecting the nation
18 - 19 Investing in the future of drug
discovery
20 - 21 Rapid, automated isolation of buffy
coat benefits DNA extraction
22 - 23 Reprogramming nature
24 - 25 Cavro Air Displacement Pipettor
provides the key to automated
sonochemical synthesis of
nanoparticles
26 - 27 Making advances in the battle
against autoimmune disease
27 Leading the debate
28 Events
3

4 CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Tecan US relocates to bigger
and better premises
July this year saw Tecan US relocate from the
Durham premises it had occupied for the past
21 years to a new, larger facility in the nearby
Morrisville area of Raleigh. This new base
offers scalable space and additional training
rooms to meet the needs of continued
growth over the coming years. With its high
ceilings and clean lines, the new building
has a very modern and sleek appearance,
providing a pleasant environment for visitors
and employees alike. Situated close to
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, hotels,
restaurants and shopping at Brier Creek,
the new premises are convenient for both
customers attending the Company’s training
facility and commuting employees.
Cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony
Celebrations were in order in June, as
customer service representative Cornelias
Rushing reached the landmark 25 years of
service at Tecan US. Cornelias joined Tecan
in 1987, and has seen many changes, as she
explained: “When I joined Tecan, it had been
working out of a garage at the home of a
former President in Chapel Hill. I came on
board shortly after the Company relocated
and, since then, I have been involved in two
more Company moves; it’s been interesting,
because each time Tecan goes up another
Tecan US staff assembled outside the new premises
Careful planning enabled the relocation to be
completed over the course of one weekend, as
Peter Hornbach, Vice President of Operations,
explained: “We closed slightly early on the
Friday, and moved the IT portion of the
business that evening. That was followed
by 64 truckloads of equipment and, by mid
afternoon on Saturday, we had actually moved
everything in. We cleaned up on Sunday, and
Cornelias celebrates 25 years at Tecan “…never in my
level. Before I joined the Company I was
working in local government, so this was
a really new area for me, seeing products
such as the RSP 5000 and the MegaFlex.
The product range has grown and improved
over the 25 years I have been working here.
When I started, the Company was just
celebrating the acquisition of Cavro Scientific
Instruments, and detection products were
not even a part of Tecan. That’s how far
my days go back!”
“My actual anniversary date was Friday
June 29th , and I had been told to make sure
I was in the office on that day at a certain
time, but nobody would tell me why. As it
was my anniversary date, I just figured they
would give me my long service award, I
didn’t expect anything extra. Instead, they
surprised me with a beautiful cake and a
were open for business as usual on Monday
morning. Everyone was very motivated and
worked together, and the move went really
smoothly. Everyone is thrilled with the new
base, and we are very proud of the premises.”
To contact Tecan US, call +1 800 352 5128
or email sales-americas@tecan.com
wildest dreams
did I imagine
being here 25
years. It’s been
great, truly, a
blessing.”
reflections video, with pictures of me in
different aspects over the years. Some of
the photos were of events I had forgotten
even happened, so it was really nice and I
got a bit teary-eyed. The whole Company
came together for the celebration and it
was wonderful. I really, really appreciated
it. I came here looking for a job that I could
connect with, but never in my wildest
dreams did I imagine being here 25 years. It’s
been great, truly, a blessing.”

Tecan enjoys success at 2012 SLAS
Asia Conference and Exhibition
Tecan attended the 2012 SLAS Asia Conference
and Exhibition at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai,
China, from 19th to 21st of June 2012. This
international event hosted approximately 350
delegates over three days, bringing together
research scientists and business leaders from
academia and industry to discuss this year’s
topic: Advances in Drug and Life Sciences
R&D Through Laboratory Technology. The
Conference’s educational program featured
renowned local and international speakers,
with presentations covering a wide range of
topics related to drug discovery, from high
throughput screening to the use of stem cell
technologies.
Tecan China demonstrated the many
advantages of automated liquid handling
processes in drug discovery and life science
applications in the exhibition hall, enjoying
a steady flow of delegates to its booth.
A number of state-of-the-art automated
solutions were in action on the booth,
including a powerful Freedom EVO® drug
discovery workstation equipped with a
MultiChannel Arm 384 (MCA 384), the
top class Quad4 Monochromators-based
Infinite® M1000 PRO microplate reader and
the innovative HP D300 Digital Dispenser.
Tecan China’s strong multi disciplinary team
PRODUCT NEWS
The state-of-the-art Cavro Centris Pump is
now available with a range of glass syringes
and plastic valves to complement the existing
portfolio of long-life ceramic components.
These new options provide customers with
a greater choice of materials to suit their
instrument design, bringing the advanced
features of the Cavro Centris Pump to a wider
range of applications.
The Cavro Centris Pump is a compact,
UL-recognized syringe pump module for
use in OEM laboratory instruments. Offering
exceptional liquid handling characteristics –
with flow rates from 5 nl/s up to 5 ml/s –
it sets new industry standards for accuracy,
of sales, service and applications specialists
was joined by both Andrea Beccari – Global
Head of Sales, Service and Commercial
Operations – and Head of China and South
East Asia Raymond Chan, and the event
provided many opportunities to speak
to key opinion leaders in the field in
a relaxed environment.
Alongside the main conference and exhibition,
Tecan hosted a tutorial on the launch of two
new products. The new Infinite M1000 PRO
multimode microplate reader with
AlphaScreen® and AlphaLISA® technology
was introduced by Marketing Application
Specialist at Tecan Austria Dr Christian
Oberdanner. Christian, who arrived at
SLAS fresh from a highly successful series
of roadshows to promote this powerful
new system, explained the benefits of the
system’s highly acclaimed absorbance,
fluorescence and luminescence scanning
capabilities for academic, biotechnology
and pharmaceutical research. The HP D300
Digital Dispenser was also launched at the
event by Dr Yingguang Wu, Head of Marketing
for the Asia Pacific region. This revolutionary
sample preparation tool has the potential
to streamline the drug discovery process, and
received widespread interest from delegates.
CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Tecan staff and customers were able to discuss
the many drug discovery applications of the
Freedom EVO workstation
Dr Christian Oberdanner introduced the new
Infinite M1000 PRO reader
The 2012 SLAS Asia was hailed a great
success for Tecan, once again highlighting
the Company’s innovation-driven solutions
and customer-focused approach to laboratory
automation for drug discovery and life
science laboratories.
Increased flexibility and choice for Cavro® Centris Pump
reliability and precision. A hallmark of the
Cavro Centris Pump is its elegant and robust
drive mechanism, offering a broad dynamic
range from a single syringe size, and the
advantages of this innovative design are now
available to customers wishing to use cost-effective
glass syringe and plastic valve options. Already
widely used throughout the Tecan Cavro range,
these high quality glass and plastic
components retain the premium performance
benefits of the Cavro Centris Pump, while
reducing the installed cost for applications which
do not require the exceptional durability offered
by a ceramic fluid path. Now, more than ever, you
can truly tailor your Cavro Centris Pump to your
instrument and application requirements.
To find out more on Tecan’s Cavro Centris
Pump, visit www.tecan.com/components
The Cavro Centris Pump offers a choice
of glass or ceramic syringes
5

6 CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
40 years of Cavro®
As we reach the milestone anniversary of 40 years of Cavro, Tecan Systems’ Site Manager
Nora Tryhorn takes stock and looks forward to a prosperous and successful future for Tecan’s
components business.
Celebrating Tecan’s acquisition of Cavro in 1987.
Jerry Rochte, founder of Cavro (left), and Heinz
Abplanalp, one of the founders of Tecan
An early Cavro employee
working on a pump
Jerry Rochte (left) and Bob Caveney
at work in the early years of Cavro
Our business
Tecan’s name is synonymous with excellence
in the world of OEM components. For 40
years now Tecan Cavro brand components
have provided innovative and reliable liquid
handling for instrument designers for almost
any application. Our outstanding Tecan
Systems team of 104 employees is based
in San Jose, in sunny California. Together,
our vision is to be the best-in-class – a world
class manufacturer and a design center of
excellence for Tecan.
“I’ve worked in other companies and the people
in Tecan are just different. Tecan Systems has
really good employees who work hard, but
also take the time to get to know each other.”
Diana Morikawa, Director of Logistics
and Production
Our products
Tecan Cavro components work robustly and
efficiently in applications that are critical to
society as a whole. We are very aware of the
huge impact our products have on public
health and safety.
“The products we make at Tecan touch so
many lives. We are all very proud to work for
a company that makes such great products.”
Tawni Kestel, Purchasing Supervisor
Cavro milestone timeline
1972 Cavro Scientific Instruments founded
1980 Model 1500/2000 Pipettor/Dilutor
1985 IQ 190 Sample Processor
1986 SB 1200 Pump
1987 Tecan acquires Cavro
1989 RSP 9000
Our customers
Early Cavro premises at
1234 Elko Drive, Sunnyvale,
Talking to our customers during the entire
development cycle of our products makes
so much sense as we create exactly what is
needed. We pride ourselves on our excellent
communication channels and long-term
relationships with our customers.
“I'm proud to be part of our service department,
taking on all the responsibilities that are
involved.”
Bob Jackson, Service Technician
1997 MiniWash Pump, Smart
Valve, Smart Peristaltic Pump
1997 MSP 9500
1994 MSP 9000
1994 XP 3000
1992 XL 300X
1990 XL 3000

CA
Jerry Rochte (right) and a Cavro
colleague working on a pump
Rey Pangilinan at work in 1984 –
an early employee who is still working
at the Company today!
Our quality
We’ve done a great job of improving
our quality over the years and have seen
significant improvements in our customer
satisfaction levels since 2006. But there’s
1999 XE 1000
2001 Cavro relocates
to 2450 Zanker Road
2002 MSP 9250
2002 Cavro name
change to Tecan
Systems
Nora Tryhorn in 1992 as Cavro’s
Customer Service Representative
always room for improvement and we will
continue to work hard as a team to make
things better.
“My proudest achievement at Tecan Systems
is the high level of productivity and quality
accomplished by our relatively small R&D
department.”
Torleif Björnson, Director R&D
Our lean working principles
The Tecan Systems’ Sales Team. Left to right;
Bruce Steffer (US), Jerry Maurice (US), Willi
Krattenmacher (Europe), Chuck Fontana (US)
We started implementing lean
manufacturing in 2009 and continue to strive
for the utmost efficiency. But lean principles
are based on a philosophy of constant
improvement and we’ll keep working to
consistently find a better and faster way
to do things.
“My proudest moment at Tecan was being
the first person to build the new
Cavro Omni Robot.”
Kenny Tran, Track Assembler
2007 Cavro ceramic valves
2006 Cavro XMP 6000
2005 Cavro XLP 6000
2004 Cavro XCalibur Pump
2003 Freedom EVO® 75
CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Our people
2008 Cavro Integration Kit
The manufacturing floor
at Tecan Systems’ previous
Humboldt Court premises
For Tecan Systems, the secret of our success
is undoubtedly our employees, several of
whom have worked here for many years.
We have a great team of extremely capable
people who work hard and, most importantly,
have a real passion for their jobs; everyone
at Tecan Systems cares about the customer.
We asked our employees what’s the best
thing about working for Tecan Systems, and
the answer was resounding…..THE PEOPLE!!
“We are one big happy family, helping
each other!”
Jose Rodriguez, Material Handler
To find out more about Tecan Cavro
components, visit
tecan.com/components
2008 Cavro Centris Pump
2008 Cavro Omni Robot
2010 Cavro ADP
2011 Cavro Omni 8-channel
option, Cavro Omni gripper
7

8 CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Cornell Cup success for
Tecan-sponsored team
A Tecan-sponsored team of students from the Weiss Laboratory for Synthetic Biology at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, recently enjoyed success at the Cornell Cup
USA competition in Florida. The team came third in this inaugural running of the competition,
taking advantage of the performance of a Cavro® XCalibur Pump on loan from Tecan to develop
a novel and innovative liquid handling system.
The Cornell Cup USA is an embedded design
competition created to empower student
teams to become inventors. Sponsored by
Intel, the competition was run for the first
time this year, and is based on the success
of the Intel China Cup, which attracts entries
from over 26,000 students. Held in May at
Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort
on Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the MIT’s entry
in the competition was supported by Tecan.
Dr Jonathan Babb, advisor of the MIT team,
explained: “Five of our students entered the
Cornell Cup USA as ‘Team Squirtle’, with $500
sponsorship from Tecan for their expenses. The
team’s project brief was to design and build
a smaller, lower priced and more intelligent
liquid handler that would provide individual
researchers with a tool for fast, accurate
and tailored pipetting to meet their liquid
handling needs. The students had considered
making their own pump, but identified that
this key component of their custom liquid
handler would be very challenging to build
in the time available. As Tecan was already
sponsoring the team, we asked if we could use
one of the Company’s pumps. We were kindly
lent a Cavro XCalibur Pump (XC Pump), and the
students were shown how to set up
and use it.”
Jonathan continued: “Tecan’s help was
invaluable, making it easy for the students to
integrate the pump and connect it to their
software. This allowed the team to focus
on the innovative aspects and architecture
of the robot, creating a system that is quite
different from conventional liquid handling
instruments. Their solution was a delta
parallel robot with three jointed arms coming
together into a point. The arms are each
controlled by a servo and motor, allowing
the user to determine the exact location
The winners were announced at the America Pavilion in Disney’s Epcot Center. Left to right:
Jonathan Babb, Kevin Linke, Huayu Ding, Agustin Venezuela, Cory Li
Team member Agustin Venezuela demonstrates
the prototype to the competition judges
of the pipetting tip. This design, which was
inspired by the high-speed, pick and place
assembly line robots used in the electronics
industry to position chips on circuit boards,
came third overall, winning a prize of $2,500.
The project was all about making one tip
go faster, rather than adding more tips as
in conventional liquid handling systems,
and we are grateful to Tecan for its support.”
‘Team Squirtle’ was awarded third place and
received a $2,500 check for the development of a new
liquid handling robot using the Cavro XCalibur Pump
To find out more about Tecan’s
Cavro XCalibur Pump, visit
www.tecan.com/components
To find out more about the Cornell Cup,
visit www.systemseng.cornell.edu/intel
The team would also like to acknowledge the
following co-sponsors: BBN Technologies, HighRes
Biosolutions, Qiagen, Intel, Tektronix, Cornell, the
MIT Department of Biological Engineering and the
MIT EECS department.

Tecan Symposium
comes to Boston
The fifth annual Tecan Symposium will be
visiting the historical US coastal city of Boston,
Massachusetts, from the 23rd to the 25th of
October. Building on the success of previous
events, this popular scientific meeting is
being hosted by Tecan in the US for the first
time, and will bring together key opinion
Tecan Symposium key speakers
Prof Sabine Becker
BrainMet: novel avenues of bioimaging mass
spectrometry of metals and biomolecules from
micrometer to nanometer scale in the brain
Prof Mitsutoshi Setou
Meta-analysis of histopathological lipidomics
Dr Feixia Chu
Sample preparation of ancient protein
samples from amber encapsulated organisms
Dr Gary van Berkel
Laser ablation and liquid extraction surface
sampling for ambient surface sampling/
ionization MS
Dr Jeffrey Hurst
Chocolate spectrometry: applications of mass
spectrometry in cocoa and chocolate research
Dr Michael Vogeser
Pitfalls associated with the use of liquid
chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
in the clinical laboratory
Prof Xuefan Gu
Neonatal screening using tandem
mass spectrometry
leaders from around the world to discuss
the expanding role of mass spectrometry
(MS) in life sciences and diagnostics.
This year’s scientific program will cover a
broad range of topics related to MS, and will
be divided into four sessions: the role of MS
in basic research; collection, preparation, and
storage of samples for MS; MS as a diagnostic
tool; and the use of MS in applied markets.
Supported by a number of social events, this
diverse agenda is designed to attract a truly
multidisciplinary audience. As in previous
years, places at the Symposium are limited
Dr John Brennan
Mass spectrometric methods for biological
screening of small molecule mixtures
Dr Nigel Clarke
Mass spectrometry as an enabling
technology in the clinical laboratory
Dr Graham Bench
Emerging trends and technologies
enabling ultrasensitive 14C measurements
for biomedicine
Dr Paul Tempst
Aminopeptidase activities as biomarkers
for cancer
Dr Judith Stone
Automating high throughput LC-MSMS
analysis of 25-hydroxy vitamin D using
liquid handlers and middleware
Dr Robert Moritz
The human SRMAtlas: a compendium
of quantitative mass spectrometry assays
for all human proteins
CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Boston 2012
fifth Tecan
Symposium
to ensure plenty of opportunities for open
discussions and networking, giving speakers
and delegates the chance to explore novel
concepts, applications and solutions that
might help to address unmet scientific
needs, while enjoying Tecan’s hospitality.
To find out more about the Tecan Symposium,
including details regarding free registration,
visit www.tecan.com/symposium
Dr Andrew Hoofnagle
Developing methods for LC-MS-based
clinical diagnostics
Dr Mark Libardoni
The role of mass spectrometry in solar system
geochemistry and planetary atmospheres:
past missions to state-of-the-art instrument
development
Dr Burak Eral
eMALDi: suppressing the coffee stain effect
via electrowetting for improved MALDi-MS
detection
Dr Zoltan Takats
Mass spectrometric profiling of biological
tissues: a comprehensive alternative to
classical histopathology
Dr Stuart Black
The application of stable isotope radio mass
spectrometry for forensic analysis of human
skeletal remains
Dr Mehdi Moini
Biological clocks: high throughput identification
of deterioration markers and dating of
museums' proteinaceous specimens
9

10 CORPORATE NEWS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Tecan showcases the Freedom EVO®
workstation configured for ELISAs
to delegates visiting from Chinese
blood centers
Delegates from blood centers across China
recently enjoyed a visit to Tecan’s European
development facilities in order to share
their experiences and give their input on
performing high quality ELISAs within blood
banking laboratories. Tecan demonstrated
a Freedom EVO workstation specifically
configured to meet the ELISA throughput
demands observed in the Chinese clinical
market, incorporating a range of features
to streamline the blood testing workflow.
Efficient throughput is critical in hospital
and blood center laboratories, requiring
reliable automated solutions which are
closely matched to laboratory workflows.
The Freedom EVO offers a flexible configuration
which can be tailored to individual
throughput requirements, with a choice of
either one or two liquid handling arms, up
to two HydroFlex microplate strip washers,
a Robotic Manipulator (RoMa) Arm for
plate transportation and an Infinite® F50
microplate reader. The specific requirements
of the scientist’s assay can be fulfilled by
the use of a variety of incubators, hotels and
carriers, providing complete automation of
the processing workflow.
The Freedom EVO is controlled by Tecan’s
intuitive Freedom EVOware® software,
and uses the TouchTools Suite graphical
user interface (GUI) to simplify day-to-day
operation of the instrument. Combined
with Tecan’s new QC Kit for liquid handling
performance verification testing, this flexible
solution provides hospitals and blood centers
in China with a straightforward and efficient
way of automating testing.
Delegates from Chinese blood centers visit Tecan
The visit was arranged in response
to increasing demand for automated
laboratory systems in Chinese hospitals
and blood centers, and reflects Tecan’s close
collaboration with customers. This year’s
event built on the success of the previous
visit to Tecan’s Männedorf headquarters in
Switzerland in 2010. In addition to seeing
Tecan automation in action, delegates
were given the opportunity to visit Tecan
manufacturing sites in both Männedorf and
Salzburg, Austria, as well as a visit to a Zurich
blood bank to foster relations and exchange
blood bank practices. The visit also included
workshops on various aspects of potential
development, providing customers and Tecan
specialists with an opportunity to discuss
current and future applications, as well as
the bottlenecks in processing, helping to
drive forward identification of novel
solutions for this important market.

Joining the digital age
TES Pharma is a small biotechnology
company based in Corciano near Perugia,
Italy, specializing in compound screening for
pharmaceutical drug discovery. Combining
an in-depth knowledge of drug design and
chemistry with systems and molecular
biology approaches, the Company works
collaboratively with partners around the
world to combine the best aspects of
academia and commercial pharmaceutical
development.
TES Pharma’s small yet highly skilled and
experienced team works closely with the
University of Perugia to rapidly develop
and explore novel compounds which may
be of interest in various disease states.
To standardize the Company’s workflow,
as well as to free up more staff time for
research activities, TES Pharma has recently
invested in an HP D300 Digital Dispenser
from Tecan. Graeme Robertson, a co-founder
of TES Pharma, explained: “The drug discovery
process is becoming increasingly highly
specialized, often involving multiple partners
with distinct skill sets working together
to deliver novel therapeutic agents. Our
core competence at TES Pharma lies in the
development of advanced screening assays,
and we believe that, by working closely
with academic partners with expertise in
individual conditions or disease areas,
we can eliminate some of the drawbacks
inherent in traditional drug discovery
pipelines.”
“To do this we need to concentrate on our
own expertise in core areas, and our
HP D300 Digital Dispenser allows us to
use our time more effectively, without
compromising on results. As a small
collaborative research facility we do not have
a high enough throughput to effectively use
complete laboratory automation systems,
but the HP D300 is easy to use and its
precision dispensing eliminates the need for
tedious manual dilutions. Digital titration
also offers several key advantages over
traditional manual protocols in terms of
reducing waste of valuable compounds,
limiting the DMSO content for sensitive
assays and increasing reproducibility, but
it is the staff time it creates that is most
important, liberating skilled individuals to
perform more exploratory research. It also
allows us to limit the number of variables in
a way that would not be possible manually,
helping us to rapidly characterize novel
biological activities which might otherwise
be missed.”
To find out more about
Direct Digital Titration, visit
www.tecan.com/digitaltitration
To find out more about TES Pharma,
visit www.tespharma.com
DRUG DISCOVERY TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
TES Pharma is a specialist biotechnology company which performs molecular, cellular
and ADME screening for drug discovery. The Company has recently purchased an
HP D300 Digital Dispenser, and is now reaping the benefits of direct titration with
improved assay reproducibility and more time to perform exploratory research.
Senior scientist Francesca De Franco displays TES Pharma’s HP D300 Digital Dispenser
“ The HP D300 is easy to
use and its precision
dispensing eliminates
the need for tedious
manual dilutions.”
11

12 READERS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
A winning combination for
nephrology research
In the last edition of the Tecan
Journal we announced the
winner of the Tecan Award
2011, Svenja Kristina Holle
from the University Hospital
of Münster, whose team has
developed an ex vivo method
for investigating the dynamics
of organic cation transport in
proximal tubules of the kidney,
using an Infinite® 200 PRO
microplate reader.
Svenja Holle
“ We can now study 100
assays at one time, which
has increased the number
of experiments that can be
carried out with one animal
enormously.”
Siegfried Sasshofer presents Svenja with the Tecan Award 2011
The Experimental Nephrology laboratory of
the Department of Internal Medicine D at the
University Hospital of Münster (Universitäts
Krankenhaus Münster – UKM), Germany, has
used Tecan’s Infinite 200 PRO microplate
readers to further develop its cell-based
techniques for the investigation of cell
membrane transport in the proximal tubules
of the kidney. The team has established a
novel ex vivo fluorescence technique which
enables parallel analysis of numerous samples
in a 384-well microplate format, making this
type of study far easier to perform, while
significantly increasing the number of
experiments which can be carried out with a
limited amount of biological material. Svenja,
a medical student at UKM, explained: “Organic
cation transporters (OCTs) are crucial for the
renal excretion of endogenous organic cations
such as the monoamine neurotransmitters
dopamine and noradrenaline, as well as the
40-50 % of pharmaceutical drugs that are
positively charged. Until now, organic cation
transporters could only be examined using
time-consuming fluorescence or radiotracer
methods; the technique and set-up procedures
were very tedious. We have successfully used
our Infinite 200 PRO readers – we have both
an Infinite M200 PRO and an Infinite F200 PRO
– to develop a microplate reader-based
method that can be adapted to almost any
kind of freshly isolated biological material
and transport system by using a suitable
fluorescent substrate. The method enables us
to study OCTs in freshly isolated proximal
tubules of mouse kidneys, an ex vivo
environment, and has significantly increased
F irst place
our throughput, as we can now place three
proximal tubules in each well of a 384-well
plate, depending only on the isolation
capacity.”
The properties and regulatory mechanisms
of organic cation transport in proximal
tubules of mouse kidneys are of particular
interest with regard to the emerging role of
transgenic mouse models in pharmacological,
physiological or pathophysiological studies.
Svenja continued: “We investigated the
dynamics of organic cation transport by flux
experiments with a fluorescent transporter
substrate, ASP+, which undergoes a shift
in the emission spectrum from 550 nm
to 590 nm when it is transported into cells.
Each individual well of a 384-well microplate
accommodates three segments of freshly
isolated mouse proximal tubules, each
approximately 200 µm long. ASP+ is added
to each well, and the increase in cellular
fluorescence is recorded. By making
fluorescence measurements, we can quantify
cellular accumulation of ASP+, which is
proportional to the extent of organic cation
transport. We can also take advantage of the
Infinite 200 PRO’s dual injection module to
study the properties of OCTs to determine
the affinities of known or unknown substrates;
substrates with high affinities to organic
cation transporters will inhibit the uptake
of ASP+. The method also allows us to screen
for substrates and drugs which interfere
with OCTs, which may open new therapeutic
approaches to reducing drug-induced
damage of the kidney by nephrotoxic drugs.”

Previously, UKM’s Experimental Nephrology
laboratory analyzed the dynamics of OCT
processes using an inverted fluorescent
microscope imaging system, but this
restricted measurement to a very small
number of isolated tubule segments per
kidney and animal, due to tedious and
time-consuming set-up procedures for each
segment. “The new method is far easier to
use, and does not require a lengthy training
period. Before, we could only examine
one tubule at a time using the inverted
microscope, but the new microplate
reader-based technique allows us to perform
several assays in parallel. We can now
study up to 300 assays at one time, which
has increased the number of experiments
that can be carried out with one animal
enormously; this is a huge advantage and
has significantly reduced both the time
and cost of experiments,” concluded Svenja.
To find out more on Tecan’s Infinite 200 PRO
series, visit www.tecan.com/infinite200pro
As the 2011 winner of the Tecan Award,
Svenja’s prize was a weekend in the romantic
city of Salzburg, which included a tour of
Tecan’s Detection Headquarters in Grödig,
Austria. Svenja described her visit to Austria:
“Our trip to Salzburg began with a short
visit to Tecan’s production site on Friday
morning. It was really interesting for me to
see the inside of the microplate reader that
I’ve worked with for such a long time, and
to hear about other promising developments
at Tecan. I gave a presentation about my
research, and I really appreciated everybody’s
interest in my work; we had a valuable
discussion and I received some really good
suggestions for improving our technique
even further.”
“Afterwards, it was a great honor for me
to receive the Tecan Award. The rest of the
weekend was spent enjoying the sights of
Salzburg. Of course, we took the hard climb
up to Hohensalzburg Castle, where we were
rewarded with an amazing view over the city
and the panorama of the Alps. We also loved
having the delicious breakfast in our fantastic
hotel right beside the Salzach, the river which
parts Salzburg into its historic city centre and
the new town. All in all, we will always
remember our great weekend trip to Salzburg
with a smile!”
Svenja prepares to analyze samples in the Infinite 200 PRO
To find out more about UKM’s Experimental
Nephrology laboratory, visit www.campus.
uni-muenster.de/892.html?&L=1
Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest medieval
castles in Europe
Svenja and Richard enjoying the magnificent
view across Salzburg
READERS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Svenja enjoying an informative tour of Tecan’s
production site
The Salzach river in Salzburg
13

14 DRUG DISCOVERY TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Biopharma by design
Isogenica provides peptide, protein and antibody discovery and design
services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and has invested
in two Freedom EVO® liquid handling platforms to increase its capacity
for the selection of next generation molecules.
Isogenica Ltd, based at Chesterford Research
Park near Cambridge, UK, specializes in the
discovery, identification and design of new
therapeutic peptides, proteins and antibodies
for pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies. The Company’s proprietary
technology – CIS display – enables rapid
library construction and selection, generating
faster hits and better leads to reduce
discovery time and improve the quality of
candidate options. To meet the demand for
higher throughput, Isogenica has purchased
two Freedom EVO 200 platforms for the
selection of next generation molecules and
for running ELISAs. Neil Cooley, Operations
Manager at Isogenica, explained: “Our clients
provide us with a target molecule and we
use our CIS display technology to discover
binders to that target. We have automated
this technology on the Freedom EVO platform
to make it less labor-intensive and to increase
our throughput, allowing us to do more of
these selections in parallel.”
Tecan held comprehensive discussions with
Isogenica to establish the Company’s exact
needs and design the most appropriate
platforms for their selection and ELISA
protocols. Two Freedom EVO 200 workstations
were chosen, each equipped with a Robotic
Manipulator (RoMa) Arm, an eight-channel
Liquid Handling (LiHa) Arm with low-volume
disposable tips and a MultiChannel Arm
(MCA) 96. The selection platform also has an
integrated Infinite® F200 PRO multimode
reader for PicoGreen® analysis of DNA levels,
an LPT 220 EVO Carousel, an extended
Z-axis RoMa, low disposable tip ejector
option and a dust cover, and is used to run a
protocol based on the Company’s CIS display
technology. This platform also takes
advantage of Tecan’s SBS format disposable
tip boxes, allowing large quantities of tips to
be stored on the Carousel for increased
walkaway times.
Neil continued: “Tecan offered a cost-effective
solution and the Company has a good
reputation; we also liked the training that
was provided with the system. They took
the time to get to know exactly what we
needed and to ensure that we understood
what options were available to us – and
the advantages of each option – including
presentations that explained the benefits
of different semi-automated versus fully
integrated systems. It was particularly
tricky deciding whether to have everything
integrated on the candidate selection
platform or not, where to put all the
options we needed and how to get
the highest throughput.”
Although the Company has had the
workstations for less than a year, the
advantages of automating the selection
protocol can already be observed. Automating
the process enables multiple target
molecules to be tested against a number of
libraries under different selection conditions,
offering the capability to multiplex across a
96-well plate. This provides more versatility
“... the big advantage of
automating the selection
process is that it allows a
larger number of selection
conditions and different
types of library – peptides,
scaffolds or even antibodies
– to be tested with their
target molecule, providing
them with greater choice.”
and improves consistency, which is an
important consideration, as well as allowing
many more selections to be performed than
would be possible manually. The maximum
number of selections that can be comfortably
performed at one time manually is 12 to 16.
In contrast, the microplate format used by
the automated process enables 96 selections
to be performed simultaneously.
Automation of the DNA/protein binding
ELISA protocol on the Freedom EVO has
also proved popular with staff, and has
significantly increased Isogenica’s screening
capacity. When the ELISA is semi-automated
using 96-well plates, one person can process

Isogenica’s selection platform offers multiplexing capabilities in a 96-well format
up to 48 plates a day. Automation has also
enabled the Company to miniaturize its
assays into 384-well plates, which allows
many more clones to be screened with the
same targets in the same time period. “We
need to keep the amount of target used to
a minimum, and moving to 384-well plates
reduces the amount of material we need,”
said Neil. “The platforms’ ease of use has also
encouraged widespread use of the systems;
staff became comfortable with operating the
instruments very quickly. As a result, we have
extended the functions that we currently
carry out on the Freedom EVO beyond those
initially envisaged.”
Isogenica’s clients also reap the benefits
of automation. When a larger number of
selections need to be performed, it is now
possible to run one large batch of samples
on the Freedom EVO, rather than several
small batches manually, enabling more rapid
and consistent delivery of peptide or protein
candidates. “For our clients, the big advantage
of automating the selection process is
that it allows a larger number of selection
conditions and different types of library –
peptides, scaffolds or even antibodies – to be
tested with their target molecule, providing
them with greater choice,” concluded Neil.
DRUG DISCOVERY TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
To find out more on Tecan’s drug discovery
solutions, visit
www.tecan.com/drugdiscovery
To find out more about Isogenica,
visit www.isogenica.com
15

16 GENOMICS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Protecting the nation
Russia’s Central Tuberculosis Research Institute is using a Freedom EVO® workstation to help in
the fight against tuberculosis. The platform provides fast and secure sample preparation, allowing
molecular diagnosis of M. tuberculosis infection in just a few hours.
Founded in 1921, the Central Tuberculosis
Research Institute of the Russian Academy
of Medical Science (CTRI RAMS), Moscow,
is a global leader in the development and
application of advanced techniques for
the effective control of tuberculosis (TB).
The Institute consists of nine research
divisions, including four 400-bed
clinical departments, and the Institute’s
multidisciplinary research team studies
every aspect of the diagnosis, pathology
and transmission of TB.
Diagnosis of TB, and determination of
antimicrobial sensitivity, generally takes
6 to 14 weeks using classical microbiological
methods, delaying provision of appropriate
treatment and contributing to the high
TB-associated mortality rate in Russia.
To reduce this lengthy detection time,
the CTRI RAMS’ Department of Microbiology
– led by Professor Larisa Chernousova –
is investigating new approaches to improve
the diagnosis of tuberculosis, including
a novel genetic technique based on PCR
(polymerase chain reaction). Larisa explained:
“A vital step in this highly sensitive method
is the extraction of DNA from patients’
sputum samples. This is a monotonous and
labor-intensive process when performed
manually, requiring high levels of
concentration to avoid cross-contamination
between samples and subsequent false
positive results, and so is ideally suited
to automation.”
Working in collaboration with Syntol –
a specialized clinical diagnostic company
in Russia – the Institute has developed
an automated protocol that allows safe
and effective handling of potentially highly
contagious M. tuberculosis samples without
the need for costly biosafety measures.
This technique uses an inactivation buffer
to kill any mycobacterium present, offering
safe handling of patient material without
compromising the quality of the extracted
DNA. The workflow was initially developed
on a Freedom EVO 75 before being transferred
to the Department’s Freedom EVO 150
workstation. It includes dilution of the
sputum samples and addition of the
inactivation buffer using the instrument’s
Liquid Handling (LiHa) Arm, magnetic
extraction of the M. tuberculosis DNA from
clinical samples and microbial cultures,
transfer of the extracted genetic material
to PCR tubes, and online PCR amplification.
Professor Chernousova continued:
“Extraction of 48 samples takes just 95
minutes, allowing us to process up to 144
samples a day if required. Once the extraction
process is complete, the recovered DNA is
transferred directly to PCR tubes and
automatically loaded onto a thermocycler
for amplification. This provides true walkaway
processing and significantly increases the
laboratory’s throughput, while also lowering
the cost per test.”
“Even a microdrop of aerosol
containing genetic material
could cause contamination
in this process, but none of
our negative controls showed
amplification by PCR.”

From left to right: Professor Larisa Chernousova, Tatiana Smirnova and Dmitry Varlamov from the CTRI
RAMS’ Department of Microbiology
Due to the high sensitivity of the PCR-based
technique, minimizing the risk of errors
and cross-contamination was crucial,
and so the laboratory carried out rigorous
testing and validation prior to bringing
the Freedom EVO 150 platform into routine
operation. “We were very happy with the
performance of the system during our
carry-over studies,” Larisa added. “Even a
microdrop of aerosol containing genetic
material could cause contamination in this
process, but none of our negative controls
showed amplification by PCR. We have also
been impressed by the flexibility and open
architecture of the platform, and now plan
to use additional Tecan workstations for
complete automation of our bacteriology
workflows in the future – from preparation
of reagents and media to culture seeding
and incubation.”
In the first four months of operation, the
laboratory has prepared over 500 clinical
samples for analysis. The Freedom EVO
workstation offers considerable time savings
while reducing the labor required. “This
helps the laboratory to identify the causative
agent of a patient’s symptoms much
faster, providing clinical staff with the right
information to effectively treat patients far
earlier,” Professor Chernousova concluded.
To find out more on Tecan’s genomics
solutions, visit www.tecan.com/genomics
GENOMICS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
17

18 DRUG DISCOVERY TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Investing in the future
of drug discovery
Osaka University’s International Drug Discovery Incubation Group opened its doors
to drug discovery researchers in western Japan in April 2011, providing access to high
throughput technologies including Tecan’s Freedom EVO® liquid handling workstations
and Infinite® M1000 microplate reader.
In Japan, Osaka has been known as the
city of medicine since the 17 th century.
The chemical industry, helped particularly
by pharmaceutical companies, is today
the most lucrative of Osaka’s industries
and shows great promise for future growth.
This setting is ideal for the International
Drug Discovery Incubation Group at Osaka
University’s Office for University-Industry
Collaboration to serve as a shared-use
facility funded by the Japan Science and
Technology Agency (JST). The Group’s
primary purpose is to accelerate
collaborative research between academia
and industry by directly supporting the drug
discovery research activities of universities
and businesses throughout the Kansai
region of Japan.
Dr Yoon-Jeong Kim, Leader of the
International Drug Discovery Incubation
Group, explained how the thinking behind
much of the Group’s strategy stems from
the pharmaceutical industry’s ‘gap issue’.
Dr Yoon-Jeong Kim
Osaka University’s International Drug Discovery Incubation Group
“The whole process from hit discovery to final
drug-to-market was traditionally handled
within a pharmaceutical company. It would
routinely take 15 to 20 years for a new target
to be developed into a drug which would
have a 25 year patent, resulting in the actual
trading life of 10 years for that drug. In the
early 2000s, an average candidate success
rate was only one in ten thousand. As a result,
pharmaceutical companies began to focus
their activities on the later phases of drug
development, to help them recover their
investment more quickly. At the same time,
they tried to extend the period of the patent
of drugs that were already on the market
by changing the drug formulation.”
“Universities continued to work on early
stages of drug discovery and the discovery
of new targets, but a gap between this work
and the later development phases performed
by pharmaceutical companies began to
widen. As a result, there are very few new
candidates coming through the drug
discovery portfolio. With a rush of patents
having expired around 2010, many companies
are now struggling to maintain a steady
stream of business revenue.”
“This gap is a big problem throughout the
pharmaceutical industry which must be
addressed. We are tackling this issue head
on by furnishing our laboratories with
a variety of modern, high throughput
instruments and employing methods
that traditionally only pharmaceutical
companies would have used.”
The Group has two Freedom EVO workstations:
a Freedom EVO 100 used mainly for plate
replication, and a custom-configured
Freedom EVO 200 equipped with a Liquid
Handling Arm, an integrated incubator,
a Tecan Carousel HS for microplate logistics,
a plate washer, and an Infinite M1000
microplate reader. This system is fitted with a

Steering committee members of the International Drug Discovery Incubation Group. Front row, left to
right: Dr Toshimasa Yasuhara, Dr Hachiro Senoo, Dr Zenichi Terashita. Back row, left to right: Dr Kazuto
Nunomura, Dr Yoon-Jeong Kim and Dr Bangzhong Lin
New approach – dealing with drug discovery
A strategy to fill the gap between new targets and preclinical drug discovery
New
targets
Hit
discovery
Hit
validation
GAP
HEPA filter because many users are
performing cell-based assays which require
aseptic conditions. Plates are transferred
automatically to the Infinite M1000 to collect
the data for some assays, but both the reader
and the plate washer can be used
independently, even while the Freedom EVO 200
is performing unrelated tasks.
Dr Kim added: “These instruments are very
popular, and are being used almost every day.
Many scientists who use our facilities are
performing high throughput (HT) methods
for the first time and, as an organization
dedicated to supporting research, we provide
a substantial amount of specialized training
as required. We teach various techniques
from how to process compounds and set
up cell-based assays to data collection,
and we train researchers so that they
can independently perform HT methods
themselves. In reality, this probably forms
the bulk of our work.”
Lead
optimization
Dr Kim had already had positive experience
of working with Tecan’s liquid handling
workstations from his earlier career in a major
pharmaceutical company: “I remembered
many strong advantages for using Tecan and
I knew these would also be relevant for our
Group here. Tecan has a lot of experience
in the types of applications we were looking
for. We wanted a HT robot that allows many
tasks to be performed by a small number
of people, and Tecan’s Freedom EVO
workstation was chosen as a platform to
fulfill this concept. We were confident that
the Company and its instruments would
be a good fit for our laboratory. Tecan’s
technical staff members are constantly
in touch to support us and ensure that
the instruments are working as efficiently
and reliably as possible.”
He concluded: “In the future, we plan to
develop our group with the addition of more
instruments that would benefit researchers
DRUG DISCOVERY TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
“I remembered many strong
advantages for using Tecan
and I knew these would
also be relevant for our
Group here.”
Preclinical Ph-l Ph-ll Ph-lll
who use the Incubation Group’s facilities.
Clearly, if we stick to the old ways of doing
things, we will inevitably meet difficulties.
There are always processes that need new
techniques to push them forward and,
with a broad range of innovative instruments,
we are working to build a set-up that will
do just that.”
To find out more on Tecan’s
Freedom EVO liquid handling workstation,
visit www.tecan.com/freedomevo
To find out more on Tecan’s Infinite M1000
microplate reader, visit
www.tecan.com/infinitem1000
To find out more about the International
Drug Discovery Incubation Group at
Osaka University, visit
www.uic.osaka-u.ac.jp/JST/index.htm
(Japanese)
19

20 BIOBANkING TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Rapid, automated isolation of buffy
coat benefits DNA extraction
Tecan and the Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg (IBBL) have
successfully co-developed an automated platform for buffy coat
extraction based on a Freedom EVO® 200 workstation, relieving
scientific staff from this time-consuming task and significantly
increasing the yield of DNA.
Biobanks such as the IBBL have a vital role
to play in modern medical research, providing
high quality biospecimens, as well as the
technology and scientific expertise to enable
researchers to evaluate data against medical
records and environmental factors. The IBBL
was established following a 2008 Government
agreement to form a strategic partnership
with three US research centers – the
Translational Genomics Research Institute
(TGen), the Institute for Systems Biology and
the Partnership for Personalized Medicine.
Working closely with the Luxembourg
Personalized Medicine Consortium (PMC),
the IBBL collects, stores, and analyzes
biological samples and associated clinical
Fay Betsou, Chief of Biospecimen Science
at the IBBL
“The results are amazing; the
yield is 10 -15 % higher using
the automated process.”
data, from neighboring countries as well
as Luxembourg itself, which are then
made available to research organizations.
In addition to somatic disease collections
for cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s
disease research, there is also a normal
population cohort collection from healthy
people – a collaboration with CRP Santé –
that acts as a control.
Today, through its own investigations and
partnerships with internationally recognized
research centers, the IBBL’s world-class
scientists are at the forefront of innovative
biospecimen research. Fay Betsou, Chief of
Biospecimen Science at the IBBL, commented:
“Research often tends to focus on biomarker
identification and validation rather than
specimen validation, but this is a basic critical
issue that could completely invalidate
experimental results. Innovative biospecimen
research is a very important – yet extremely
rare – initiative that is quite specific to the IBBL.”
The IBBL’s biospecimen collection and
biorepository contain high quality tissues
and body fluids, maintained according to
strict quality requirements. The associated
biorefinery analysis and research service
produces high quality analytes, such as DNA,
RNA and protein, maintains technology for
high throughput gene sequencing and gene
expression, and conducts biospecimen research.
In addition, an informatics platform securely
maintains clinical and biospecimen data.
Conny Mathay explains the biobanking process to
students studying for the University Certificate on
Principles of Biobanking
A key target biospecimen for IBBL and many
biobanks and diagnostic laboratories is
the buffy coat, the layer of leukocytes and
platelets that forms when unclotted blood is
centrifuged or allowed to stand, and is often
used for DNA extraction. Traditionally, the
process of manually isolating the buffy coat
from whole blood is slow, tedious and very
dependant on the skill and dexterity of the
technician separating the layers. To eliminate
this time-consuming and variable element
of sampling, the IBBL and Tecan joined forces
to co-develop an automated procedure on
a Freedom EVO 200 platform.
Fay explained: “Our sample throughput,
although relatively low at present, is expected
to increase five-fold in the near future, and we
were initially looking for a flexible liquid
handling system that could meet this demand.
We also have particularly strict requirements

The IBBL team with the Freedom EVO
in terms of time; it is crucial to minimize
the delay between sample collection and
freezing, and speed is essential. We looked
at the existing options and spoke to several
different suppliers before choosing Tecan.
From the beginning, we could see that as well
as performing classical liquid handling, there
was a real possibility of automating buffy
coat extraction using the Freedom EVO.
This was never going to be an easy process,
largely because of the variation in individual
sample volumes and the quantity, viscosity
and texture of the buffy coat layer itself,
but we had several meetings with Tecan’s
technical teams and, over the next couple
of months, worked together to co-develop
an automated method.”
All of the IBBL’s blood samples initially have a
hemocytometer count and CRP measurement
performed to generate basic background
data such as blood cell count and
inflammatory status. Centrifuged blood
collection tubes are placed on the
Freedom EVO platform, which is equipped
with Robotic Manipulator (RoMa), eightchannel
Liquid Handling (LiHa) and Pick and
Place (PnP) Arms, a Tube Inspection Unit (TIU),
an Xtr-96 flatbed scanner (FluidX), Xsd-96Pro
and Xsd-48Pro modules (FluidX), and a BDK
module to provide HEPA-filtered air on the
worktable. The workstation, which is also
used for aliquoting serum, plasma and urine,
has been optimized to maximize the yield
and quality of the buffy coat, and to minimize
the risk of cross-contamination. Tubes are
transferred to the TIU, which identifies the
position of the buffy coat layer using a laser
beam. The buffy coat is then aspirated by the
LiHa using a spiral movement, and transferred
to its destination tube. “The LiHa pipettes the
buffy coat layer with very precise orientation
and speed, standardizing the process and
eliminating technician-to-technician
variation,” Fay added.
BIOBANkING TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
During the validation process, IBBL found the
automated system gave a purer buffy coat
product with less contamination from red
blood cells and hemoglobin and a similar
distribution of white blood cells, as well as
an average DNA yield significantly higher
than that obtained by manual extraction.
“The results are amazing; the yield is 10-15 %
higher using the automated process.
Altogether, isolating the buffy coat manually
is a tortuous task but the Freedom EVO
system now processes 24 samples in just
16 minutes. We are very satisfied with the
system and are looking forward to working
with Tecan on another biospecimen research
project in the near future,” concluded Fay.
To find out more about Tecan’s biobanking
solutions, visit www.tecan.com/biobanking
To find out more about IBBL,
please visit www.ibbl.lu
21
Thomas La Mela/Shutterstock.com

22 GENOMICS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Reprogramming nature
Researchers in the Synthetic
Biology Center at the
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology are using a
Freedom EVO® workstation to
aid the development of genetic
circuits. By automating the
laborious liquid handling
protocols, the platform has
increased throughput from
just a few samples to hundreds
of experiments a day.
Genetic circuits are an exciting area of
synthetic biology, with potential applications
in areas as diverse as biofuel production
and medicine. These plasmid constructs
have the ability to regulate the function
of host bacterial, yeast or mammalian
cells, reprogramming them to produce
novel substances, change appearance or
exhibit different behavior. Researchers
in the Synthetic Biology Center at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
USA, are working on several collaborative
projects to develop genetic circuits for a
variety of applications. Dr Jonathan Babb,
a researcher at MIT, explained: “If you think
about it in engineering terms, we are building
a machine by taking specific DNA sequences
and putting them together in different
combinations to form genetic circuits.
A collection of these circuits can then be
loaded into a host cell, reprogramming it.
The Weiss Laboratory at MIT recently
published an example of this approach,
where a genetic circuit triggers apoptosis
in cancer cells, but not in healthy cells,
offering diagnosis and treatment in one step.
Another potential application is in biofuel
development, re-engineering bacteria to
efficiently produce fuels such as biodiesel.”
“Although we use a modular approach,
development of these genetic circuits is still
very time-consuming and labor-intensive,
and so we purchased a Freedom EVO 150
platform to meet our liquid handling needs.
This platform effectively transforms what
is already done in electronics – pushing
buttons to activate software and hardware to
produce the desired circuit – to our synthetic
biology experiments. Scaling up this process
on a robotic system also gives us higher
throughput and repeatability without the
variability inherent in manual procedures.”
“We specifically chose a Tecan system
for this application because the software
and hardware are easy to extend, and we
wanted the flexibility to experiment with
different combinations of modules. The
Freedom EVOware® software has an open
architecture, making it easy to write and
develop scripts and connect the instrument
to our own systems and software, and the
design of the hardware undoubtedly helps
with the integration of our own modules and
apparatus onto the worktable. For example,
we wanted to be able to store enzymes at
-20 oC on the deck, and were able to get an

automation-friendly chiller that could do this
at fairly low cost, without having to make any
major modifications to the platform.”
“We have also been able to devise our own
colony picking procedures for cell-based
screening, and to set up and run an ordinary,
low-cost gel station on the platform. The
Freedom EVO is able to automatically load
and run gels on the gel station, despite the
lack of a communication port on this device,
eliminating the need for a lot of expensive
additional hardware. The flexibility and
programmability of the Freedom EVO are
invaluable for this, allowing us to rapidly
develop in-house solutions and create the
elaborate algorithms that are required to
perform the many different steps necessary
for the assembly of genetic circuits. We have
successfully demonstrated that every step
in the process can be automated and run
completely unattended, and are now scaling
up to high throughput mode, which will see
multiple 96-well plates processed per day.”
LiHa Arm
Tecan Freedom EVO 150 at MIT Weiss Lab
Tips
Waste
Cover storage
Stackable
tips
User input
The MIT Weiss Laboratory’s Freedom EVO platform
“Tecan’s technical expertise has also been
important to the success of our work, and
we receive excellent application support from
the Company. My colleagues and I attended
a Tecan users’ meeting in Boston last October,
specifically to find a solution to the complex
issue of pipetting minute volumes of our
suspensions on the Freedom EVO platform
with the existing liquid classes. Tecan’s
application specialists were able to give us
a new liquid class that would not only be able
Hotel
Deep-well plate
Magnet
GENOMICS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
4 °C
RoMa Arm
37-60 °C
incubator
Tubes
Gel controls
Camera
position
Gel box
Hotel
-20 °C
Plate
reader
Scanner
User output
to handle the volume and viscosity we
wanted, but also direct the pipette tip to
twist around and tap the side of the vessel,
so that any drop of liquid would come off.
We also have very good ongoing support
from Tecan locally – for general advice and
troubleshooting – and are kept up-to-date
with new technologies and solutions which
could further our research.”
To learn more about Tecan’s genomics
solutions, visit www.tecan.com/genomics
To find out more about the Synthetic Biology
Center at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, visit synbio.mit.edu
23

24 COMPONENTS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Cavro® Air Displacement Pipettor
provides the key to automated
sonochemical synthesis of nanoparticles
Go2 Technologies, a specialized engineering solutions provider, has used
Tecan’s Cavro Air Displacement Pipettor to develop a novel automated
method for labor-intensive sonochemical synthesis procedures.
Go2 Technologies in Dayton, Ohio, USA,
has taken advantage of state-of-the-art
manufacturing and engineering technology,
combined with leading-edge robotics and
the Cavro Air Displacement Pipettor (ADP),
to establish an innovative automated process
for sonochemical synthesis of nanoparticles
for the generation of hydrogen gas.
Sonochemical synthesis – chemistry driven
by ultrasound waves – relies on high intensity
sound waves, which are only present near a
powerful sonic probe. This makes it difficult
to perform large-scale reactions and,
as a result, chemists are usually forced to
perform labor-intensive batch procedures
consisting of numerous small syntheses.
To automate these procedures – and decrease
labor costs significantly – Go2 Technologies
has developed the RADS robotic synthesis
machine. Kent Walker, Partner/Owner at Go2
Technologies, explained: “The University of
Dayton Research Institute and the Air Force
Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio, were creating air-stable
organically-capped aluminum nanoparticles
for the production of hydrogen gas from
water, which involved manually pipetting
three different materials – alane, titanium
isopropoxide, and oleic acid – inside a
glovebox. This is a very labor-intensive
procedure for a single operator, and we
were approached to develop an automated
method that could robotically dispense, mix,
sonicate and verify, essentially to produce a
robotic synthesis machine to automate the
manual pipetting and dispensing stages
within the enclosure.”
The robotic arm holds the Cavro ADP
“The really big challenge of the whole process
was liquid dispensing; we needed something
compact and lightweight that could cover
a large range of volumes, from 15 µl to 10 ml.
Some of the chemicals used are pretty harsh
on plastics, and pumping these materials
through a mechanical piece of equipment
was causing them to degrade and break
down quickly. This was where the Cavro ADP
really came into play. We looked at standard
dispensing-type pumping systems but,
typically, these wanted to bring the liquids
into the device. The nature of the liquids used
meant that we needed to find a non-contact
mechanism for dispensing and pumping,
with tips that were either disposable, or could
be removed and replaced during the process.
Accurate, reliable dispensing of liquid volumes
was also vital. I had previous experience with
Tecan and was familiar with its products, so
we approached Tecan Systems. The Cavro ADP
was the key to making the whole dispensing
process happen because it doesn’t touch
the liquid, it just brings it into the end of
a disposable pipette tip.”
Kent continued: “The system design is unique.
Unlike the more standardized XYZ robotic
components, the Cavro ADP is free standing
and is manipulated by a Mitsubishi vertical
articulating robotic arm. The Cavro ADP
needed to be used as a pick and place-type
unit rather than being permanently mounted,
so we created custom fixtures and tools from

“The Cavro ADP has been
vital to the success of
the project.”
which the robotic arm could pick it up when
required. We use the Cavro ADP with Tecan’s
disposable tips, and have modified the tip
racks to fit our application. Each of the liquids
that we pipette has its own rack of tips and,
once they have been used, we just dispense
them into a waste container within the
purge box. All these adaptations had to be
extremely precise, to ensure that everything
worked reliably and reproducibly.”
“As well as implementing the robotic
solution, we had to develop a custom
airtight chamber that could be purged with
nitrogen. After talking to several vendors
about the inner chamber we realized that
these products were so standardized that
they really didn’t fit our solution, and so we
designed and built the purge box ourselves.
This stainless steel enclosure was specifically
sized to house all the equipment required,
including the vertical articulating arm, the
Cavro ADP, and the reagents, vials and trays.
We had to allow sufficient space for the
robotic arm to operate – pipetting with the
Cavro ADP, capping and uncapping vials
and moving them to a sonic probe – and to
accommodate any cables.”
“We can now perform batch processing of
samples by placing them in individual vials
inside the glovebox, and process an entire
grid of these vials in one run. A batch of up
to 56 vials can be processed, with each one
taking around 20 minutes to complete.
You just load the cell, close the box and
purge it with nitrogen, then start the run
The robotic arm manipulates the Cavro ADP within the purge box
COMPONENTS TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
From left to right: Kent Walker, Scott Schoessow and Allen Poe from Go2 Technologies
and walk away. Consistency is essential for
the synthesis to work, and the Cavro ADP
has been vital to the success of the project,”
concluded Kent.
To find out more on Tecan’s Cavro ADP,
visit www.tecan.com/components
To find out more about Go2 Technologies,
visit www.go2technologies.com
25

26 MICROARRAY TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Making advances in the battle against
autoimmune disease
Scientists at the National Institute of Molecular Genetics in Italy rely
on the Freedom EVO® platform for automated diagnostic screening
of sera from patients suffering from autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune diseases are caused by an
inappropriate immune response that
results in the body attacking its own
tissues and generating autoantibodies. The
prevalence of these diseases is increasing
worldwide, with only limited diagnostic
tools available. The National Institute of
Molecular Genetics (INGM), based on the
IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore campus in Milan,
Italy, is a non-profit research foundation
that was set up to perform research into
the discovery and initial development of
innovative therapies and diagnostics for
tumors and autoimmune diseases. As an
advanced research center, INGM is creating
a well-defined niche of activities in the
field of human proteomics research, taking
advantage of its location to establish strong
connections with hospital clinics. Its diverse
network of public and private collaborations
with leading Italian and international
institutes and biotechnology companies
is playing a key role in the identification
of new therapeutic targets, and the
development of new diagnostic methods
for neoplastic and autoimmune diseases.
INGM’s proteomic group focuses its
research on the development of reliable and
automation -friendly assays for screening
large sets of sera for new biomarkers in
autoimmune diseases. Mauro Bombaci, group
leader of the protein microarray laboratory
– which specializes in method development
and the validation of novel candidates
– described the Group’s work: “We are a
multidisciplinary research center involved
in the discovery of new signature profiles
in autoimmune diseases. Our work involves
the use of protein microarrays to perform
a variety of assays – including biomarker
identification, antibody specificity profiling,
protein-protein interaction studies and
drug target discovery – and we are currently
turning our attention to the development
The INGM team with the Freedom EVO. Left to right: Antonella Sinisi, Mauro Bombaci, Angela Cardaci
of a protein microarray containing poorlycharacterized
recombinant human proteins
that are predicted to be surface-exposed or
secreted.”
“We need to be able to perform a wide variety
of tasks and implement new processes, from
general liquid handling for a range of
different purposes, to running ELISA, DELFIA®
and Bio-Plex® assays. High throughput
screening is also important, helping us to be
competitive in the marketplace. To achieve
these goals, we have invested in a Freedom
EVO 150 workstation equipped with Liquid
Handling (LiHa) and Robotic Manipulator
(RoMa) Arms, an integrated Infinite® F200
multimode microplate reader, an ambient
temperature incubator, a HydroSpeed
washer, a Variomag® Teleshake, a heating
plate and various hotels that allow us to store
up to 15 microplates. We also have a HS
4800 Pro hybridization station and an
Infinite M200 microplate reader.”
INGM
Mauro continued: “We use our Freedom EVO
workstation to run fully automated DELFIA
TRF assays. The DELFIA is a robust, high
performance immunodetection assay that
uses Eu-labelled anti-human IgG to detect
antibodies in sera, offering several advantages
over conventional ELISAs, such as enhanced
sensitivity and a wider dynamic range. As we
often use sera from patients suffering from
infectious diseases, we prepare our sera
dilutions prior to analysis in a sterile clean
room, then use the Freedom EVO workstation
to perform the assay, analyzing the samples
and controls in 96-well microplates.
Automating DELFIA protocols on the
Freedom EVO enables us to screen large
sample numbers to validate new biomarkers
in autoimmune diseases.”
“Before we purchased the Freedom EVO, we
used manual and semi-automatic processes
to perform our assays. The system is reliable
and easy to use, and allows us to process

hundreds of samples in a day, taking just two to three
hours for each assay. By fully automating the DELFIA
method on the Freedom EVO workstation, we are now
able to perform in one day what it used to take us
three days to do,” concluded Mauro.
To find out more on Tecan’s microarray solutions,
visit www.tecan.com/microarray
To find out more about INGM, visit www.ingm.org
“ By fully automating the DELFIA
method on the Freedom EVO
workstation, we are now able to
perform in one day what it used
to take us three days to do.”
The National Institute of Molecular Genetics, Milan
Antonella Sinisi using the HS 4800 Pro hybridization station
TALk TO TECAN TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Simon Fogarty, Director of Application Sciences, Tecan US, Inc.
Leading the debate
Mass spectrometry (MS) has long been associated with the analysis of
small molecules and their metabolites as part of the drug discovery and
development process. However, over the last 10 years there has been
a significant increase in the use of MS in a clinical setting, driven by a
number of technical innovations – expanding the range of molecules
that can be detected – and the development of more user-friendly
software and bioinformatics tools.
MS applications now include biomarker analysis, identifying genes,
lipids, proteins and metabolites that have diagnostic potential in
disease management; forensic toxicology applications, particularly in
the analysis of pain management drugs and their metabolites; and lipid
profile analysis to reveal alterations that occur in metabolic diseases.
To support MS customers, Tecan has developed a range of sample
preparation applications and protocols on the Freedom EVO liquid
handling platform. From simple sample handling, aliquoting and
dilution protocols to MALDI target plate set-up and advanced sample
processing such as protein crash, liquid-liquid and solid-phase
extraction protocols.
Recognizing the growing importance of this technique to both
Tecan and its customers, this year’s Tecan Symposium in Boston,
USA, will focus on MS. Titled Mass spectrometry – the expanding role
in life sciences and diagnostics, the Symposium will feature speakers
from a number of organizations using MS techniques in the clinical
environment. Presentations will cover the use of MS technology in
a range of areas including protease analyses as cancer biomarkers,
automation of sample handling for analysis of 25-hydroxy vitamin D by
LC-MSMS, and its use in assays where samples are precious or minimal,
such as pediatrics and neonates.
Email talk@tecan.com to tell us about how Tecan can help to further
expand the role of MS in life sciences and diagnostics.
27

28 EVENTS 2012 TECAN JOURNAL 3/2012
Meet Tecan at these events
Americas
Microarray World Congress San Diego, CA, USA 25 – 26 Sept 2012
BioProcess International Providence, RI, USA 09 – 11 Oct 2012
AAPS Annual Meeting & Exposition 2012 Chicago, IL, USA 14 – 18 Oct 2012
ISHI 23rd International Symposium on Human Identification National Harbor, MD, USA 15 – 18 Oct 2012
Tecan Symposium 2012 Boston, MA, USA 23 – 25 Oct 2012
ASHG American Society of Human Genetics 2012
Asia and Pacific
San Francisco, CA, USA 06 – 10 Nov 2012
A&PD 6th Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Symposium Sydney, Australia 27 – 28 Sept 2012
BPN BioProcessing Network Conference Melbourne, Australia 16 – 18 Oct 2012
Analytica China Shanghai Conference Shanghai, China 16 – 18 Oct 2012
CSBT The 6th National Congress of the Chinese Society of Blood Transfusion Guangzhou, China 07 – 09 Nov 2012
AACB Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists Conference Melbourne, Australia 15 – 19 Nov 2012
The Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics Annual Meeting Chiba, Japan 20 – 22 Nov 2012
The Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Fukuoka, Japan 11 – 14 Dec 2012
MipTec Conference & Exhibition Basel, Switzerland 24 – 27 Sept 2012
Scanlab 2012 Copenhagen, Denmark 25 – 27 Sept 2012
HET Instrument 2012 Amsterdam, Netherlands 25 – 28 Sept 2012
ELRIG Pharmaceutical Flow Cytometry & Imaging Alderley Park, UK 10 – 11 Oct 2012
SIDILV Conference Sorrento, Italy 24 – 26 Oct 2012
ESBB European, Middle Eastern & African Society for Biopreservation &
Biobanking Conference
Granada, Spain 07 – 10 Nov 2012
Medica Exhibition Düsseldorf, Germany 14 – 17 Nov 2012
Tecan are pioneers in automated liquid handling and innovative life science solutions. For over 30 years
we continue to enable and support our customers to make the world a healthier and safer place.
Headquarters:
Tecan Group Ltd., Seestrasse 103, CH-8708 Männedorf, Switzerland
T +41 44 922 88 88 F +41 44 922 88 89 info@tecan.com
Tecan
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Switzerland +41 44 922 89 22 Uk +44 118 9300 300 USA +1 919 361 5200 Other countries +43 62 46 89 33
www.tecan.com
Tecan Journal, Customer Magazine of Tecan Trading AG., ISSN 1660-5276
Design: OTM/London www.otmcreate.com
Photography: Günter Bolzern/Zürich www.bolzern.net
Editor in Chief: Tecan Trading AG, Cornelia Kegele
Project Lead: Tecan Trading AG, Cornelia Kegele/Antonietta Allocca
Editor: kdm/UK www.kdm-communications.com
Print: DAZ Druckerei Albisrieden AG/Zurich www.daz.ch
Address: Tecan Trading AG, Marketing Communications,
Seestrasse 103, CH-8708 Männedorf, Switzerland,
journal@tecan.com, www.tecan.com
To register for the Tecan Journal please go to www.tecan.com/journal
© 2012 Tecan Trading AG, Switzerland, all rights reserved.
Tecan Group Ltd. makes every effort to include accurate and up-to-date information within this
publication, however, it is possible that omissions or errors might have occurred. Tecan Group Ltd.
cannot, therefore, make any representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy
or completeness of the information provided in this publication. Changes in this publication can
be made at any time without notice. All mentioned trademarks are protected by law. In general,
the trademarks and designs referenced herein are trademarks, or registered trademarks, of Tecan
Group Ltd., Mannedorf, Switzerland. A complete list may be found at www.tecan.com/trademarks.
Product names and company names that are not contained in the list but are noted herein may
be the trademarks of their respective owners. For technical details and detailed procedures of the
specifications provided in this document please contact your Tecan representative.
This journal may contain reference to applications and products which are not available in all
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