This month, Life Technologies introduced the QuantStudio 12K Flex Real-Time PCR System, a new PCR platform for real time and digital PCR. The system will ship in the first quarter of 2012 at a price, depending on configuration, of $90,000–$190,000. The system runs PCR experiments via five interchangeable blocks: 96-well plates, fast 96-well plates for smaller volumes, 384-well plates, TaqMan Array Cards and OpenArray Plates. First introduced by Life Technologies last year, and based on BioTrove technology (see IBO 11/15/09), the slide-size OpenArray Plate has 48 arrays, each containing 64 holes that hold 33 nL of the sample and master mix for a total of 3,072 reactions per Plate. “The price of the OpenArray Plates are the same as the OpenArray Plates utilized in the former OpenArray Real-Time System,” said Angelique Habis, senior market development manager for qPCR at Life Technologies. Genoypting Plates are priced at $500 each.

The QuantStudio 12K Flex can run four plates simultaneously, compared to the three-plate capacity of the previous system. In addition, the new system allows for genotyping runs online. Run time is approximately four hours for genotyping assays. The system’s OpenArray configuration also comes with the AccuFill System for automated loading of the OpenArray Plates, reducing workflow steps. “We’re looking at a time savings of over 75%,” said Ms. Habis. She told IBO that the system can accommodate three sets of end-users: labs doing validation of discovery studies that want high-throughput PCR capabilities; labs needing throughput and application flexibility; and low-throughput labs that may want to scale up in the future.