WESTWOOD, Mass., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The BioSciences Group of Fujitsu Computer Systems today announced that it has developed an automated microinjection system called CELLINJECTOR, to enable very large-scale direct injection of agents through cell membranes for biochemical research.
The CELLINJECTOR system is a high-throughput, efficient, automated method for directly injecting a large number of cells. CELLINJECTOR is computer- controlled, so operators do not need months or years of injection training to perform accurate cellular injections.
According to Dr. Michael J. McManus, vice president for business development of the BioSciences Group, "CELLINJECTOR was developed to overcome the challenges scientists face using cell-based screening techniques to learn more about the intracellular activity of chemical compounds, therapeutic proteins, siRNA agents and other structures of interest. Understanding exactly how a structure behaves in situ is often far more useful than in silico or in vitro experiments. By placing an agent directly in a cell, the researcher can observe the activity of the agent at the sub-cellular level to determine what cellular structures are affected, and how."
He added, "To date, the main obstacle for drug researchers has been the difficulty, labor-intensiveness and expense of performing cellular-level screening on a large scale, which is increasingly becoming necessary to biochemical research. The precision and automation of CELLINJECTOR vastly improves the precision and volume of cell injections, easily performing thousands of successful injections per day compared to hundreds done manually."
CELLINJECTOR is comprised of several components, including a glass capillary, a moving X-Y platform, a perforated silicon chip, a digital camera, a microscope and a computer controller. The computer instructs the X-Y platform how to position the capillary at each cell membrane on the perforated silicon chip and then to inject the cell. This process is repeated for each cell on the chip.
The automatic nature of CELLINJECTOR makes it ideal to integrate cellular injection into pre-existing robotic workflows. Robots used to handle, incubate and analyze cell assays can easily be used with CELLINJECTOR, once they are configured to incorporate the CELLINJECTOR process into the workflow.
About The BioSciences Group of Fujitsu Computer Systems
The BioSciences Group of Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation is an established leader in creating innovative and reliable solutions for experimental scientists. BioSciences Group solutions enable researchers to make in silico predictions about leads, targets, and interactions, and to validate these hypotheses experimentally. BioSciences Group offerings include the CELLINJECTOR(TM) system for high-throughput, automated cellular injection, the isS(TM) (in silico Screening) platform for large-scale docking and free energy of binding simulations, and the CAChe(TM) suite of life sciences predictive modeling and automated docking tools, for drug discovery lead- generation. For more information, please see: us.fujitsu.com/biosciences
About Fujitsu Computer Systems
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Fujitsu Computer Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited committed to the design, development and delivery of advanced computer systems and managed services for the business enterprise. The company offers a complete line of high- performance mobile computers, scalable and reliable servers, storage, and middleware as well as managed and professional services. Fujitsu Computer Systems emphasizes leading-edge technology, exceptional product quality and user comfort and productivity, as well as outstanding customer service. More information on Fujitsu Computer Systems is available at: us.fujitsu.com/computers
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace. Pace-setting device technologies, highly reliable computing and communications products, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts uniquely position Fujitsu to deliver comprehensive solutions that open up infinite possibilities for its customers' success. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited reported consolidated revenues of 4.7 trillion yen (US$44.5 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005. For more information, please see: www.fujitsu.com
NOTE: Fujitsu, the Fujitsu logo, CELLINJECTOR, isS, and CAChe are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.
The statements provided herein are for informational purposes only and may be amended or altered by Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation without notice or liability. Product description data represents Fujitsu design objectives and is provided for comparative purposes; actual results may vary based on a variety of factors. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Fujitsu Computer Systems CorporationCONTACT: Joshua Nathan of BioSciences Group, Fujitsu Computer Systems,+1-781-326-6330, or fax, +1-781-326-7179, or jnathan@us.fujitsu.com
