PENNSAUKEN, N.J., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerionx and Merck Research Laboratories today announced a one-year collaboration under which the companies will optimize Cerionx’ revolutionary “cold” plasma process for automated pipette tip cleaning in Merck’s North Wales, PA Automated Biotechnology Laboratories to improve the efficiency of siRNA assay runs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will use Cerionx’ TipCharger(TM) Systems in its siRNA screening and will work collaboratively with Cerionx to further optimize system performance in that lab.
“The success we’ve seen in substituting the TipCharger System for more traditional wash protocols has been impressive,” commented Dr. Oleg Kornienko, Senior Research Fellow. “By cutting our wash times in half and eliminating biological waste generated through solvent wash stations, we look forward to more productive and economic assay runs. We will be working with Cerionx to test and verify new and different cleaning protocols that will further increase our productivity.”
The patented TipCharger System cleans pipette tips with a “cold” atmospheric pressure plasma process that improves assay execution and increases productivity in BioPharma R&D labs. The TipCharger System is a reliable alternative to tip wash or replacement techniques currently used to mitigate sample carry-over with automated liquid handling devices, and cleans fixed and disposable tips without the use of traditional wash solvents or waste generation.
“Merck is a model partner, and we’re delighted with this collaboration,” stated Jeb Connor, Chairman and CEO, Cerionx. “We share the joint goal to improve assay execution. Merck’s excellent research reputation and attention to detail will be invaluable as we continue to establish and demonstrate this innovative plasma cleaning technology throughout the BioPharma industry.”
Comparative analyses of tips cleaned with conventional DNAse/RNAse free water and TipCharger-generated plasma in siRNA assay protocols will soon be published and available for review on the Cerionx Web site, http://www.cerionx.com.
About Cerionx
Cerionx, Inc. is a technology company dedicated to the development of state-of-the-art products for laboratory research applications. Cerionx’s patented low temperature (“cold”) atmospheric pressure plasma process is used on-line and in-process in drug discovery labs as a safe, reliable and efficient alternative to the expensive and time-consuming washing procedures for cleaning pipette tips used in automated liquid transfer. The TipCharger(TM) System revolutionizes liquid handling processes and greatly enhances operational efficiency. It speeds run time, generates no hazardous waste and produces high-quality results without contamination. It can be incorporated on existing, as well as new automated liquid handling platforms.
More information about Cerionx and the TipCharger System can be found on the company’s Web site at: http://www.cerionx.com.
The TipCharger System is protected by multiple U.S. Patents and other patents pending. The TipCharger mark and design, Cerionx mark and design, and TipCharger by Cerionx mark and design are trademarks owned by Cerionx, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Cerionx, Inc.
CONTACT: Brian Gawron, +1-908-276-4344, or brian@sternassociates.com, forCerionx, Inc.
Web site: http://www.cerionx.com/
