Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiaxcel, an automated system that will replace tedious and time-consuming methods of nucleic acid separation in low- to high-throughput laboratories
Qiaxcel, which is designed to take the place of traditional slab-gel analysis, is said to be characterised by an unprecedented sensitivity - detecting concentrations of nucleic acids as small as 0.1ng/ul.
Nucleic acid separation technologies are widely used for quality control or as an analytical tool, such as to determine the size of DNA fragments, or obtain more information on an organism's genetic composition.
Currently, the most commonly used method for nucleic acid separation is gel electrophoresis, using manually poured slab gels.
However, this method is highly labour-intensive and exposes users to hazardous chemicals such as ethidium bromide.
The Qiaxcel system overcomes the bottlenecks of manual gel preparation, making nucleic acid separation easier and faster than ever.
The system uses ready-to-go gel cartridges that allow samples to be prepared with minimal hands-on interaction, reducing manual handling errors and avoiding exposure to toxic reagents.
QIAxcel can analyse up to 96 samples per run; 12 protocols can be performed in as little as five minutes.
Preprogrammed protocols, in combination with corresponding gel cartridges, allow separation and analysis of a variety of nucleic acids, including singleplex or multiplex PCR fragments, DNA digested with restriction endonucleases, synthesised oligonucleotides, total RNA, and complementary RNA (cRNA).
The high detection sensitivity provided by the Qiaxcel analyser enables reproducible results, even with low nucleic acid concentrations.
With resolution as low as 3-5bp, the Qiaxcel analyser delivers greater accuracy than slab-gel analysis and a high degree of confidence in data interpretation.
"With Qiaxcel, we are proud to bring nucleic acid separation to a higher level of efficiency than previously seen in our industry".
"The system can be handled easily with little user training, thus enabling a smooth implementation into the laboratory," said Wolfgang Leibinger, global business director of automated systems at Qiagen.
The Qiaxcel instrument is intended to be used only in combination with Qiaxcel kits for applications described in the respective Qiaxcel kit handbooks.
Qiaxcel kits are intended for research only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.
