Affymetrix, Agilent Technologies, Axon Instruments

Affymetrix this week introduced its long-awaited GeneChip autoloader accessory for its GeneChip Scanner 3000. The autoloader, promised for introduction in the fall, is a carousel that holds 48 microarrray cartridges for automatic loading and unloading into the company’s next-generation scanner. The autoloading feature, which attaches to the top of the scanner, is a labor-saving introduction that moves the company’s proprietary microarray analysis scheme closer to automation, and matches automation features already available on scanners made by Agilent Technologies and Axon Instruments. The autoloader has a temperature-controlled environment, and e-mail notification to designated users in the event of a system failure.