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Tecan Demonstrates Cellerity, a Fully Automated Cell and Protein Production System at Lab Automation 2005


WEBWIRE

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. & SAN JOSE, CA -- Jan. 31, 2005 -- Tecan, a leader in the Life Sciences supply industry, today offered an interactive demonstration of Cellerity at Lab Automation 2005, booth 801. Cellerity is Tecan’s fully automated high-throughput cell and protein production system for cell culture maintenance, cell-line expansion and harvesting. Tecan is proud to announce the company is in the process of installing its second order for Cellerity at one of its customer sites. Two additional Cellerity systems have been ordered and will be installed in the spring. This automation solution offers a high-throughput solution for achieving a timely, reliable and consistent supply of cells for cell-based assays, helping to overcome a significant industry-wide bottleneck.


Carl Severinghaus, President, Tecan US remarks, “The fact that customers are demanding Cellerity for their laboratories and we are already on our second installation underscores our commitment to having a steady flow of innovative, next-generation automated liquid handling system options for our customers.” He further adds, "By participating in interactive product demonstrations of Cellerity at our booth at Lab Automation 2005 exhibit-goers will see first-hand a unique system for automating and managing the ongoing requirements for cultured cells.

Automation friendly cell culture flasks such as the RoboFlask(TM),a product of Corning(R), Inc., Life Sciences Division, is central to the automation concept of Cellerity. The RoboFlask is designed to be manipulable by the Cellerity system. It features a pierceable septum which maintains sterility and a large hydrophobic membrane for gas exchange to maintain proper conditions for cell growth.

Cellerity is based on a Freedom EVO(R) 200 with a 8 tip liquid handling arm and a robotic manipulator arm. Adaptations include a high volume liquid handling system to add and remove media and other bulk liquids to and from RoboFlasks and to dilute cell suspensions to the densities required for plating. RoboFlasks are stored in a high speed AutoLoader(TM) which transfers them directly onto a device specifically designed for Cellerity. This device can hold up to four RoboFlasks for access by liquid handling tips, and for shaking and knocking flasks for washing and harvesting cells.

Up to eight bulk media can be stored in an integrated refrigerator and then warmed by an in-line heater immediately before dispensing. In addition, the system’s fully integrated cell counting module facilitates replating and seeding activities. A RoMa (robotic manipulator) arm allows the transport of plates and flasks throughout the workspace, providing direct access to all pipetting stations, incubators, storage devices and other modules.

CellGEM(TM) the new Cellerity control software combines a user-friendly GUI-based instrument interface for scheduling of complex tasks such as culturing multiple cell lines. The areas where cells are handled on Cellerity are enclosed in a laminar flow hood. Contamination-free processing with complete control over environmental conditions helps Cellerity ensure optimal metabolic conditions for superior growth performance and consistency from passage to passage.

About Tecan

Tecan (www.tecan.com) is a leading player in the Life Sciences supply industry that specializes in the development, production, and distribution of solutions enabling the discovery of pharmaceutical substances, as well as for genomics, proteomics, and diagnostics. Tecan clients are leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments and diagnostic laboratories. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both North America and Europe and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2003, Tecan achieved sales of CHF 311.6 million (USD 230.8 million; EUR 205.0 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the Swiss SWX stock exchange (TK: TECN / Reuters: TECZn.S / Valor : 1210019). s.



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