BD Biosciences Clontech, of Palo Alto, Calif., has released its Living Colors clonal cell lines for use in cell-based assays. Cell lines include the HEK 293 ZsGreen Proteasome Sensor Cell Line, for monitoring proteasome activity under a variety of treatments, and the HT-1080 Retro DsRed-Express Cell Line, a metastatic tumor cell line for use in in vitro cell migration and invasion assays.
The stably transfected cell lines allow the user to avoid changes in expression levels that often complicate interpretation of results, and the fluorescent proteins can be detected with microscopy and are adaptable to high-throughput instrument platforms, the company said.
TekCell of Hopkinton, Mass., has introduced the Tekbench liquid handling system for cell-based assays, including ELISA, ADME/toxicity, plasmid preparation, and RNA/DNA isolation.
Within its 3- by 5-foot footprint, the Tekbench can store over 1,000 microplates, containers, and consumables. Standard options include UV sterilization, HEPA filter, chilled reagent storage and nanoliter to microliter pipetting tools with wash stations, the company said.