Biotechnology Instrumentation

"Biosensor instrumentation, as well as other scientific and medical instrumentation, often gives the user extremely high sensitivity and performance in the analysis work. It is easy to understand that the results can be completely ruined by a small air bubble".
In the article below, written by the research scientist Lars Borm, you see an example of how our valves, degassers and connectors are used in a laboratory environment and how they can be adapted to different customer requirements.

Image
Degassing in a unique automated RNA imaging instrumentation

Our work aims to make high resolution atlases of the mouse and human brain, where we know the location and type of every individual cell in the brain. We do this by imaging the RNA molecules that are present in each cell of the brain with a microscope. The RNA can be seen as an intermediate between the cells' DNA and the proteins. The information of which specific RNA molecules are present in a cell tells us about the function of the cell. There are thousands of different RNA molecules that can be present in the cell which determine the identity of the cell, and in order to visualize such a high number of targets we perform many cycles of labeling and imaging on the same brain sample.

This takes an enormous amount of work and therefore we have automated the process, by building a fluidic machine that can dispense all the required liquids to the sample and start the imaging. We build three machines that are performing these experiments around the clock and there are many things that can go wrong in such a complex experiment. Air bubbles in the flow cell that holds the brain sample was a common reason why our experiments failed. By putting a bubble-trap and a degasser we can virtually catch and prevent air bubbles going into the flow cell. The degassing is especially important because the samples need to be incubated at different temperatures, and a liquid can quickly out-gas at higher temperatures, forming air bubbles that would have a detrimental effect on the system performance.

Apparatus: A modified analytical DEGASi PLUS standalone degasser with different channel size to optimize degassing efficiency and system dead volume. The valves shown in the photo are IDEX MX Series II™ 10 Position/11 Port Selector Valves.

Author and system designer: Lars Borm | PhD student Linnarsson Lab, Karolinska Institute, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Unit of Molecular Neurobiology, Stockholm, Sweden, web link http://linnarssonlab.org/




Enhancing SPR instrument performance

Biotech Fluidics AB reports that it is supplying key microfluidic and degassing components to BioNavis Oy (Tampere, Finland) for its range of Multi-Parametric Surface Plasmon Resonance (MP-SPR) instruments.

Surface Plasmon Resonance is the ‘go to’ technique for the measurement of molecular interactions in fluidics including serum, saliva, and organic solvents. SPR technology beneficially allows evaluation of affinity and kinetics of molecular binding reactions without the burdens of labelling as the technique is label-free. The BioNavis Navi™ range of advanced MP-SPR instruments provide superior features and performance enabling both studies of surface interactions as well as nanolayer characterization. Navi MP-SPR instruments are helping scientists with antibody characterization through drug uptake routes, controlled drug release strategies, small molecule measurements, nanoparticle targeting up to drug internalization by living cells.

Jussi Tuppurainen, Technical Director of BioNavis commented “The key part of our MP-SPR fluidics systems are IDEX port selection valves supplied by Biotech Fluidics. These high-quality valves contribute to precise handling of samples, allowing researchers to control the timing, volume, and flow rate of injected liquids. This precision is vital for achieving reproducible results and minimizing variations in sample concentration. Additionally, the Degasser system supplied by Biotech Fluidics helps maintain sample integrity by preventing the introduction of air bubbles, which can disrupt measurements. Careful fluidic design and efficient degassing techniques eliminate bubbles and preserve the stability of the sample, ensuring reliable data”.

In conclusion – Jussi Tuppurainen said “BioNavis has been a satisfied customer of Biotech Fluidics for many years. We highly recommend them not only for their top-quality products, but also because of the consistently professional and friendly customer service they provide.”

For more information on fluidic components for SPR instruments please visit https://www.biotechfluidics.com/products/idex-catalogue/.
For further information on a degasser for your SPR system please visit www.biotechfluidics.com/products/degassing-debubbling/ or contact Biotech Fluidics on + 46 300 56 91 80 / + 612-703-5718 / info@biotechfluidics.com.

For further information on the Navi™ range of advanced MP-SPR instruments please visit https://www.bionavis.com/en/.