Tecan of Zurich has introduced ProTeam Advanced Digest, a system for automated in-gel or in-solution protein digestion, peptide extraction, and spotting on a wide range of MALDI plates. The system integrates the company’s DirectSpot technology with its TecPrep 96 solid phase extraction plate. The spot technology allows researchers to use smaller sample volumes than before. Solid phase extraction is performed in plates through a capillary process with a patent-pending matrix. As a result, Tecan claims, the sensitivity can be extended into the low femtomole range. According to the company, the throughput can be scaled up to 3,500 samples per day.
According to a company representative, Tecan will start an early access program for a 2D gel automation system in 2003, which will combine automated gel casting, gel electrophoresis, and gel staining.
Nonlinear Dynamics plans to launch Progenesis Discovery, a software package for high-throughput gel analysis, by the end of the year, according to a company representative. The product will be based on a client-server architecture and will allow for further automation, frontline quality control, and editing. The company also plans to launch a product called Progenera next year, which combines a suite of bioinformatics tools and an Oracle-based database. This will allow researchers to administer data from a variety of applications, including 2D gels, arrays, and mass spectrometry, as well as to mine data and track samples.