Beckman Coulter collaborates with HSE to integrate automated nucleic acid quantification
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has formed a strategic partnership with Swiss engineering firm HSE•AG to integrate UV photometry and fluorometry directly into liquid handling workflows. The collaboration embeds HSE’s eviDense and eviFluor instruments onto Biomek automated workstations, enabling real-time nucleic acid analysis without manual intervention. Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, the Danaher subsidiary and laboratory automation specialist, has announced a strategic collaboration with Hombrechtikon Systems Engineering AG (HSE•AG) to streamline nucleic acid quantification through integrated liquid handling automation.
The partnership centres on embedding HSE’s analytical instruments directly onto the deck of Beckman Coulter’s Biomek i-Series automated workstations, creating a unified platform for sample processing and analysis. Two key instruments form the collaboration’s foundation: the HSE eviDense UV Photometer for absorbance-based measurements and the HSE eviFluor Duo microcuvette-based fluorometer for fluorometric analysis.
Real-time absorbance measurements eliminate workflow interruptions
The eviDense UV Photometer integration enables real-time nucleic acid concentration and purity measurements at 260/280 and 260/230 nanometre ratios directly within the liquid handling process. This non-destructive analysis approach allows immediate sample recovery or workflow progression based on user requirements, functioning as what the companies describe as a “drop-in replacement” for existing protocols. “Time is the most critical facet in the laboratory today, and we’re always examining workflows to see how we can help laboratories achieve results faster with greater accuracy,” said Ewan Grant, Senior Director of the Biotech Business Unit at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. “This collaboration is a major step forward in advancing nucleic acid quantification. By enabling this workflow to be executed through a liquid handler, we’re uniquely able to help laboratories maximise walk-away time for both extraction and NGS library preparation, empowering researchers to get the answers they seek faster.”
Fluorometric analysis delivers 96-sample throughput
The eviFluor Duo integration focuses on fluorometric nucleic acid quantification, delivering results for 96 samples within 20 minutes. The system enables real-time data generation for immediate, decision-based pipetting whilst eliminating manual intervention steps that introduce potential errors and time delays.
Automated workflows enhance data integrity
According to Konstantin Lutze, Chief Technology Officer at HSE, the integration represents significant progress in laboratory automation capabilities. “With the integration of the eviDense UV Photometer and the eviFluor Duo Fluorometer into the Biomek i5 and i7 workstations, both absorbance and fluorescence measurements are performed fully automatically within the liquid handling workflow. This enables highly efficient nucleic acid quantification whilst enhancing data integrity and measurement consistency. By eliminating manual interactions, the risk of user-induced errors is minimised.”
The collaboration targets research laboratories conducting drug discovery programmes and genomic workflows, with both companies emphasising improved data reliability and reduced manual workload as primary benefits.
For more information, visit: www.hseag.com
