Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Bologna, Italy, and Huntingdon Valley, Pa., has launched its new VRNxT sample volume reduction instrument.
By standardizing sample volume reduction, the VRNxT instrument adds precision and accuracy to rare-cell and single-cell analysis, minimizing the loss of precious samples and increasing workflow throughput. While the VRNxT instrument has been developed to standardize workflows for the company’s DEPArray single-cell analysis system, broader applications in volume reduction are possible.
Fabio Piazzalunga, Menarini Silicon Biosystems.
“The VRNxT was created in direct response to customer feedback to help streamline, automate, and standardize rare-cell analysis workflows,” says Fabio Piazzalunga, CEO of Menarini Silicon Biosystems.
The VRNxT automated volume reduction instrument removes manual pipetting steps, reducing hands-on time up to 90% and eliminating operator variability. No specific skill sets or training are required to operate the instrument, thereby delivering user-independent results with high reproducibility and success, with 99% of single cells retained after volume reduction.
Matija Snuderl, MD, NYU Langone Health.
“The instrument helped us to reduce our error rate and processing time,” says Matija Snuderl, MD, associate professor of pathology and director of molecular pathology at NYU Langone Health, who tested the new instrument in his laboratory. “We handle rare cell types isolated from FFPE specimens. With the VRNxT, we were able to lower the chance of error in the volume reduction step, which is especially important when single-cell samples are collected, and decrease the time required to process these samples.”
The VRNxT uses rotational motion for sample volume reduction and can process up to four samples at once, decreasing the time required for sample preparation and consistently reducing sample volume to approximately 12.5 μL in 25 seconds. Downstream of analysis via the DEPArray system, VRNxT reduces volume to approximately 2 μL in about 8 seconds, making the samples ready for whole-genome amplification.
For more information, visit Menarini Silicon Biosystems.
