CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Invitrogen, a division of Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE - News), today announced the introduction of the BenchPro™ 4100 Western Processing Device, a bench-top tool developed to automate processing of routine washing and incubation steps for standard laboratory procedures. This device simplifies protein analysis workflows by automating Western blotting; a laboratory technique used in a variety of life science research applications, including studies of antibodies and biological pathways.
Western blotting, also referred to as immunoblotting, is a laboratory technique used to detect specific proteins in biological samples through gel electrophoresis. After separation, proteins are transferred to a membrane where they can be identified using antibodies specific to the protein. Designed with Western blotting in mind, the BenchPro 4100 Western Processing Device completely automates the hands-on, three-hour process of this technique.
The new device is part of a workflow that includes the BenchPro 4100 Card Processing Station and the BenchPro 4100 Western Cards. The cards hold the Western blot membrane to be analyzed by the card processing station. The single-use, disposable cards negate experimental cross-contamination. Use of the cards practically eliminates clean-up, and hands-on work while maintaining the quality of experimental results. The card-processing station is programmable to enable various Western processing protocols and can process up to four samples in parallel with a variety of reagent combinations.
The BenchPro 4100 device builds upon the success of Invitrogen’s iBlot™ Dry Blotting Device, a high-efficiency protein transfer machine that enables researchers to reliably blot proteins from polyacrylamide gels in seven minutes or less without the need for additional buffers or an external power supply. The iBlot device can be used to simplify the transfer of proteins onto a membrane that can then be processed by the BenchPro 4100 device.
“Western analysis of proteins is an essential part of many scientific workflows,” said Evangeline Gonzalez, Head of Market Development for Invitrogen Molecular Biology Reagents. “The BenchPro 4100 device expands our portfolio of protein expression isolation and analysis solutions, which aim to free scientists from much of the manual work involved in many different protein analysis applications. The combination of the BenchPro 4100 and iBlot Dry Blotting devices saves researchers’ valuable time, minimizes operator errors, and increases consistency of results.”
Invitrogen is a leading provider of platform independent, essential life science technologies for disease and drug research, bioproduction and diagnostics. Among the technologies it markets are a complete line of devices and reagents for protein and nucleic acid analysis that include the Qubit™ Quantitation Device, for the quantitation of DNA, RNA and protein samples, and the iPrep™ Purification Device for DNA and RNA purification, and the Countess™ Automated Cell Counter, a tool that automates the process of cell counting. Invitrogen, together, with Applied Biosystems ? a global leader in providing innovative instrument systems to accelerate academic and clinical research, drug discovery and development, pathogen detection and forensic DNA analysis ? are part of Life Technologies Corporation, which markets the life science industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of solutions for molecular and cell biology. Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen products are used in nearly every major laboratory in the world.
For more information about the BenchPro 4100 Western Processing Device visit www.invitrogen.com/benchpro4100.
About Life Technologies
Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE - News) is a global biotechnology tools company dedicated to improving the human condition. Our systems, consumables and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific exploration, driving to discoveries and developments that make life even better. Life Technologies customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance personalized medicine, regenerative science, molecular diagnostics, agricultural and environmental research, and 21st century forensics. Life Technologies has historical sales of approximately $3.5 billion, employs 9,500 people, has a presence in more than 100 countries, and possesses a rapidly growing intellectual property estate of over 3,600 patents and exclusive licenses. Life Technologies was created by the combination of Invitrogen Corporation and Applied Biosystems Inc. For more information on how we are making a difference please visit our website: www.lifetechnologies.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements about our anticipated results that involve risks and uncertainties. Some of the information contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to industry trends and Life Technologies’ plans, objectives, expectations and strategy for its business, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words “believe,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “target,” “estimate,” “expect” and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions (“will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are detailed in filings made by Life Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Life Technologies undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Copyright 2009. Life Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved. Invitrogen is a trademark of Life Technologies in the US and/or certain other countries. BenchPro, iBlot, Qubit, iPrep, and Countess are trademarks of Invitrogen and Life Technologies Corporation.
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For Life Technologies Corporation Mark Springer, 650-638-6113 Mark.Springer@appliedbiosystems.com
