CDI Labs – a biotechnology company based in Puerto Rico – is using Integra’s VIAFLO and VOYAGER electronic pipettes to streamline workflows and improve accuracy for the development of next generation proteomics products.
The company is well-known for its flagship product – the HuProt Human Proteome Microarray – and has since expanded its portfolio to include a catalogue of over 2000 monoclonal antibodies designed to accelerate research and advance discoveries that improve human health.
Edisa Albino (pictured), a senior project manager and operations development scientist at CDI, explained: “Monoclonal antibodies are frequently used in life sciences research, yet many of the molecules currently available commercially aren’t very specific. Each of our monoclonal antibodies is monospecific, and has been extensively validated using flow cytometry, characterisation of protein expression and interaction, Western blot etc.
“With the level of manual work seen in our workflows, it is unsurprising that many of our staff experienced pipetting fatigue. They suffered from problems such as RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome, which obviously affected efficiency and productivity. We began researching different pipettes to help alleviate these problems, and the Integra electronic pipettes offered exactly what we needed.
“We now have three VIAFLO electronic pipettes and two VOYAGER adjustable tip-spacing pipettes, using them for PCR, immunoassays, cell culture, proteomics and purification. They are so ergonomic and comfortable for our users that fatigue is simply no longer an issue. The VIAFLO takes seconds to fill 96-well assay plates or 24-well cell culture plates, while the VOYAGER is perfect for transferring samples quickly from a 96-well plate to the human protein arrays for validation, where spacing between the tips needs to be completely different.
“Overall, our workflows are much faster, our throughput has significantly increased and we have confidence in the accuracy of our results – I really think they're the best pipettes on the market for our needs.”
Visit the Integra Biosciences website to learn more.