Researchers at the University of North Texas (UNT) are using the Viaflo 96 electronic pipette from Integra Biosciences, Hudson, NH, to increase the throughput of their workflows for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and flow cytometry, and to improve the reproducibility of their results.
Brian McFarlin, PhD, University of North Texas, with the Viaflow 96 pipette by Integra Biosciences.
The applied physiology laboratory at UNT focuses on research in two key areas: the physiologic and immunologic consequences of weight change and the use of nutritional countermeasures to maximize immune health after exercise. The laboratory also performs analysis and testing for other research groups in related fields.
“We conduct a lot of multiplexed analysis of protein and RNA biomarkers, and this requires precise pipetting,” says Brian McFarlin, PhD, associate professor of biological sciences at UNT. “For one study we were performing 50 flow cytometry preps per blood sample and had over 2,000 samples, so we needed to reduce the amount of manual pipetting we were carrying out.”
McFarlin was introduced to the Viaflo 96 at a biomarker conference and was impressed that the modules could be changed to accept different volumes. “We use it for sample transfer from storage tubes to reagent plates and reagent additions, especially for running Luminex assays and ELISAs,” he says. “The performance of our assays has improved. Our results are much more reproducible, and there is a reduced risk of error.”
For more information, visit Integra Biosciences.
