Courtesy of Bio-Rad Laboratories
Foot soldiers in the "Omics revolution" have an ally in the BioOdyssey Calligrapher MiniArrayer, a new entry into the benchtop microarray printing arena from Bio-Rad Laboratories. The $25,000 (US) machine is capable of printing to membranes, 96-well plates, and glass slides, says Jamie Wibbenmeyer, spokesperson for the Hercules, Calif.-based company.
While more experienced users may take advantage of the fully customizable robotics – to print circular arrays, for example – the Calligrapher's turnkey operations were specifically designed to attract the novice, Wibbenmeyer says. "We really saw a need for an instrument that was more approachable, that an individual scientist could have in his lab."
The relatively low-throughput Calligrapher can accommodate only a single source plate, and prints 384 samples on up to 16 slides, with minimal to no carry over, in less than two hours. Options include humidity control and a refrigerated work surface.
Bio-Rad hopes ...
