Customer Posters describe use of nAscent PocketTips* with Biomek® Workstations

Doug Kroncke at nAscent BioSciences Inc. provided two posters written by established Biomek® users for submicroliter dispensing. The first is from Merck, and describes their evaluation of nAscent’s PocketTips* for 100 nanoliter transfers in two separate enzymatic assays.  The second poster is from 3M Pharmaceuticals, and demonstrates how the company accomplished submicroliter dispensing with compounds in DMSO using 384-well nAscent tips.  The users demonstrated successful miniaturization of assay transfer and equivalent inhibition of the target enzyme in a Spotfire assay when moving to the miniaturized format.

nAscent PocketTips are pre-set to certain ranges of 50, 100, 250 and 500 nl. These tips will work on all Biomek Workstations, from Biomek 2000 and Biomek 3000 up to Biomek FX^P, for 96- and 384- multichannel heads.  Pocket Tips can also be used on Span 8 systems.  Pocket Tips use a patented inner capillary which allows the tips to store minute quantities of reagent within an inner reservoir. They can be used with as little as 2 to 3 microliters of source liquid.  To ensure accurate volumes, the area below the capillary area is rinsed after the initial compound aspiration, typically in a DMSO solution.  After rinsing, the sample can then be dispensed into the destination well.

The most commonly reported uses of these tips are for compound addition where the user wants to conserve precious reagent or reduce costs of analyzing compound stocks.  PocketTips report the following applications on their websites:

Selectivity assays (P450), potency determinations (IC50), cell-based or low-DMSO tolerant assays, kinetic read (FLIPR), FRET assays, primary screening and others.

To obtain a sample of PocketTips pipette tips by nAscent and for guidance in using the tips, users can contact them at their website address: http://www.pockettip.com/

Poster: Sébastien Guiral, Frédéric Masse, Jeffrey Karg, Doug Kroncke and Christine Brideau: Nanoliter Dispensing of Compounds into Assay Plates Using Disposable PocketTips™.
Click here for this poster.

Poster: Carolyn Klecker, Patricia Gill, Derek Hook, Doug Kroncke: A Case Study Examining Microliter vs Nanoliter Transfers in a FRET Assay.
Click here for this poster.

Additional Information:

• Biomek® FX^P
• Biomek NX^P
• Biomek 3000
• More Information on eCatalog