This week the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) is hosting SLAS2012, a conference dedicated to technical innovation and laboratory automation. Different fields in laboratory technology like high-throughput technologies, micro- and nanotechnologies, bioanalytical techniques and informatics are covered. SLAS2012 also hosts an exhibition with companies from around the world showcasing their latest innovative technologies and of course some new product launches.
Here is a short summary of some of the new equipment launched at this event:
TTP LabTech LTD, Melbourn, United Kingdom, demonstrates three new products:
The Arktic is an automated -80°C storage for biobanking applications, able to store up to 95,000 0.5 mL or 60,000 1.0 mL samples. Tubes can be pre-sorted within the -80°C environment with racks of up to 96 tubes being dispensed in under 3 minutes. Individual microtubes can be cherry picked and delivered from store within 60 seconds, 2D barcoded microtubes ensure easy sample identification and tracking.
The Mosquito HV is a device bridging the gap between nanolitre and microlitre liquid handling. It provides precise and repeatable pipetting and allows you to accurately handle intermediate volumes for low volume serial dilutions and assay plate preparation across the volume range of 500nL to 5µL.
The aequus is a non-contact sensor for automated monitoring of system stock fluids in analytical instruments. It comes with an easy to read display providing real time information with warnings of fluid level limits. Up to 12 channels can be monitored in realtime. A network connection makes it possible to monitor fluid levels remotely.
Link: TTP LabTech LTD…
CyBio AG, Jena, Germany, a manufacturer of automated liquid handling platforms presents a new scalable bench top pipettor, the CyBio-FeliX. It features a wide volume range and format flexibility. It features 12 deck positions arranged in a novel two-level approach and addresses a wide set of applications in the field of drug discovery and genomics as well as biological and biochemical methods.
Link: CyBio AG…
Molecular Devices, LLC, Sunnyvale, CA, developed the new QPix 400 series for microbial colony picking. It offers the unique option to simultaneously detect colonies and quantify fluorescent markers in a pre-screening step before picking. 
This pre-screening step enables the colonies of interest to be objectively identified and selected. Together with highly accurate robotics and organism-specific colony picking pins, scientists can ensure that the right colony is picked every time. An agar height sensor further increases accuracy at the picking stage. Application-driven software includes tools to easily track sample histories throughout the workflow. Applications include areas such as protein expression, biofuel research, enzyme evolution, phage display, DNA sequencing and library generation and management.
Link: QPix systems…
Etaluma, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, launched the LumaScope, a simple compact inverted fluorescence/brightfield microscope designed around a CMOS sensor with only focus, brightfield/fluorescence toggle, and USB power-input/image-output. It is portable, sturdy, and inexpensive; and yields laboratory grade images on your laptop screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfcexIBjFQg
Link: Etaluma…
MaxCyte, Inc, Gaithersburg, MD, demonstrated the Maxcyte VLX Large Scale Transfection System, a small-footprint instrument specifically designed for extremely large volume transient transfection in a sterile, closed transfection environment. Using proprietary flow electroporation technology, the MaxCyte VLX can transfect cells in less than 30 minutes with high cell viability and transfection efficiencies. This system is ideal for the rapid production of recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, viral vectors, vaccines & VLPs from the bench through cGMP pilots and commercial manufacturing.
Link: MaxCyte, Inc…