Automated liquid handling technology has changed considerably since The Scientist last examined it in 1999.2 Manufacturers have improved and modified existing automated liquid handlers to adapt to the customers' rapidly evolving needs, incorporating cutting-edge technology, and applying the practical experience gained over the past few years.
The MICROLAB STAR, recently introduced by Reno, Nev.-based Hamilton Co., is a good example of the improvements. "The MICROLAB STAR project started as a program to solve deficiencies we saw with air displacement pipettes and the needs of the drug discovery and drug development industries," explains product manager Dave Hansen. The resulting instrument boasts advanced pipetting and probe-positioning capabilities among other innovative features.
However, not everyone who needs automated pipetting capabilities requires, or can afford, a $75,000 system. Consequently, companies developed instruments to fill the gap between hand-held electronic pipettors and the larger, expensive pipetting robots. Nichiryo America Inc. of Flanders, NJ, is committed ...
