INTEGRA Biosciences’ PIPETBOY acu 2 pipette controller is helping researchers in the Immune Sensing and Signaling Dynamics group/ImmunoHUB at the i3S in Porto, Portugal.
The controller is being used as part of the Group’s research into the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in infection and cancer. Research technician Sérgio Marinho explained: “The AHR is used by cells to monitor their microenvironment, providing molecular cues to identify changes in microbial communities or tumour status, as well as allowing the host to react to potential imbalances in homeostasis. As therapeutic drugs are also recognised by this mechanism, AHR modulation could impact the success of therapies too. We’re investigating this modulation at a fundamental level, to try to understand the effects of infection, particularly where multidrug-resistant bacteria are an issue, and to study why some cancer patients relapse following seemingly successful chemotherapy treatments.”
Sérgio continued: “Cell and molecular biology techniques involve a lot of liquid handling. We also perform viral transductions, which require numerous cell handling steps. The PIPETBOY acu 2 pipette controller is ideal for our serological pipetting needs; it is ergonomic, very lightweight, reliable, robust, and compatible with the various serological pipettes that we use in the lab. It also has a long battery life, which is essential when we spend many hours pipetting each day. We use them every day and are very happy with their performance. We also have a VACUSAFE aspiration system from INTEGRA, which is ideal for cell culture assays in microplates. The eight-channel tip adapter allows us to aspirate eight wells simultaneously, making the process much less laborious and saving a lot of time. It’s a real asset to our laboratory.”
Visit the INTEGRA Biosciences website to learn more.
