What are the advantages of magnetic beads?
- Binding efficiency — the large surface area of a magnetic bead and thorough exposure to the target during mixing enables superior binding and washing efficiency
- Less loss/greater capture — get more of your nucleic acid from your sample (no clogging)
- Improved elution — efficient elution in small volumes
- Greater sample range — efficient removal of inhibitors from a wide range of samples with different viscosities
- Faster process without centrifugation
- Do not lose sample
- Optimize protocol
When should you switch from manual to automated sample preparation?
1. When a quick processing time is critical for the research lab
Automated sample purification instruments help save lab technicians time by removing manual steps and helping reduce overall processing time when compared with manual preparation or even with other sample preparation instruments.
With KingFisher automation, each step in your workflow—such as reagent, antibody, target capture, washes, and elution—is represented by a single plate in the instrument carousel (for the KingFisher Duo Prime, rows of wells in the plate). Once the plates are prepared and loaded, simply press “start” and the instrument carries out the programmed protocol automatically.
Figure 1. The expected run time for sample preparation when using a KingFisher instrument and pre-fill plates. Less than 15 minutes to prep plates, 1 minute to select program or protocol, 1 min to load plates, press state and walk away for 25–120 minutes depending on the sample and analyte type.
Figure 2. Automation saves hands-on time. Using automation from Thermo Fisher Scientific saves you hands-on time by 80% compared to using a column-based protocol from Supplier Q.
2. When demand for sample collection and processing is high
KingFisher instruments can isolate RNA or DNA from a 96-well plate in only 25 minutes, processing up to 96 samples during one run using automated MagMAX extraction kits. Depending on the analyte outcome needed, the run time on the KingFisher systems typically ranges from 25–60 minutes for most extraction, purification, and isolation for nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, cells, and exosomes.
3. When you need consistent and reproducible results
Different sample types and applications require different chemistries to extract the analyte. Sample types such as blood, saliva, mucus, whale blubber, soil, ocean water, fecal matter, fish scales and other sample types are among the array of applications that KingFisher instruments support.
We have developed kits and solutions that contain optimized beads, buffers, and protocols to help maximize purity and yield for each application and sample type. You can also edit, modify, or create your own protocols to align with your outcome and research needs.
4. When you want to reduce plastic waste in your lab
Automated sample purification kits contain fewer plastic components by overall weight (g) compared to leading competitor’s column-based solutions. The total weight of plastic utilized in the Applied Biosystems MagMAX mirVana Total RNA Isolation Kit workflow and the Applied Biosystems MagMAX DNA Multi-Sample Ultra 2.0 Kit workflow is greatly reduced compared to supplier Q’s comparable workflows. Using less plastic means a reduction in plastic waste generated by your research.
Figure 3. MagMAX kits utilize less plastics. These images showcase the environmental advantage of MagMAX kits, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability while maintaining exceptional performance in DNA and RNA extraction.
5. When you need to decrease your overall cost per sample
Consider the cost savings for labor and material reductions in addition to employee satisfaction and retention. Automation is the way of the future. It can help set you and your lab up for success, even if your research changes.
Figure 4. Automation is affordable. Using automation from Thermo Fisher Scientific for sample preparation saves you about 4% and 14% respectively on DNA kits and RNA kits compared to using automation from Supplier Q.