Company Announcements

BioSampling Systems entered into a distribution agreement with Ramcon for Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

TAP Biosystems named TrendBio its exclusive distributor for Australia and New Zealand.

Tecan and TAP Biosystems announced a comarketing agreement in October 2012 for the automation of TAP’s RAFT 3D cell culture system using Tecan’s Freedom EVO liquid handling platform.

The UK’s Southern Daily Echo reported in November 2012 that Molecular Devices plans to close its facility in New Milton in March 2013, resulting in the loss of as many as 50 jobs, and move the operations to California.

Brooks Automation’s Life Science Systems revenue for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, increased 394.2% to $52.6 million (see IBO 11/30/12) due to acquisitions and made up 9% of company revenues. Product sales totaled $39.7 million. Fourteen positions were eliminated.

In December 2012, Peak Robotics merged with Process Analysis and Automation (paa) to form Peak Analysis and Automation.

HighRes Biosolutions announced that in 2012 bookings increased over 70%, its customer base grew more than 40% and head count rose over 30%.

Product Introductions

Molecular Devices introduced the QPix 420 next-generation microbial colony picker, which is designed for smaller research facilities and academic labs.

Brooks Life Science Systems introduced the Brooks Plate Auditor, a rapid, non-invasive tool for identification of precipitate and empty wells in compound and screening plates prior to use in compound management and high-throughput screening activities.

Berthold Technologies launched the Apollo 11 absorbance reader, which can be used with up to six filters.

Art Robbins Instruments released the Cobra 148 line of liquid handling systems, with noncontact dispensers for volumes as low as 300 nL in 96 through 1536 well plates.

Eppendorf introduced the epMotion P5073 and M5073 workstations for automation of DNA purification and PCR setup, respectively.

Hamilton and GE Healthcare Life Sciences introduced in November 2012 the easyPunch STARlet, which integrates punching of GE Healthcare Whatman FTA and DMPK sample collection cards with automated sample extraction.

Tecan and Promega developed a workstation for the fully automated extraction of gDNA from whole blood samples.

CTC Analytics released the PAL RTC Sample Prep Automation System for automated 24/7 fully unattended operation. It features a Robotic Tool Change and integrated Vortex Mixer.