TTP Labtech has announced the launch of Mosquito LCP, which facilitates the automation and increased throughput of lipidic cubic phase (LCP) crystallisation setups.
This automation system enables LCP screening to be performed accurately and with ease, according to TTP.
The LCP technique for crystallising membrane proteins can be difficult and time consuming to set up by hand as it utilises highly viscous lipid mesophases to reconstitute proteins.
TTP Labtech said it has overcome these problems with mosquito LCP, a dedicated pipetting instrument for automated LCP screening setup.
This product has the full functionality of the mosquito product, while incorporating technical specifications for LCP techniques.
Using a positive displacement syringe with automated tip positioning, mosquito LCP provides repeatable dispensing of the LCP drops.
The precise positioning of the LCP material also facilitates automated imaging of membrane protein crystals in a range of high-density plate types.
Mosquito LCP is said to provide benefits over manual processes due to the use of its disposable tip technology.
For the precipitant additions step, this not only guarantees zero cross contamination, but negates the need for tip washing.
Subsequently, high-throughput rates of more than eight 96- well plates per hour are achieved and evaporation of the dispensed LCP is minimised.
'The mosquito is already being used for automated, high-throughput protein crystallisation in sitting drop, hanging drop and micro batch applications,' said Gebhard Schertler from the MRC.
