The Wagner group at the University of Regensburg’s Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene relies on liquid handling solutions from Integra Biosciences to aid its vital research into molecular virology and vaccine development. The group uses these innovative pipetting tools to accelerate workflows for designing and testing new vaccine candidates capable of preventing dangerous viral outbreaks and fighting infectious diseases.
Integra products have been a mainstay of the laboratory for more than a decade, and are used for a wide range of workflows, from routine cell culture to high throughput molecular biology experiments. The team first started using PipetBoy acu 2 serological pipet controllers, and has since adopted a number of Viaflo electronic pipettes, Voyager adjustable tip spacing pipettes and Switch hybrid pipettes to streamline repetitive tasks such as reagent aliquoting and distributing master mixes. These tools help the group to accelerate sample preparation, enhance reproducibility and reduce the physical strain associated with repetitive pipetting, improving ergonomics and allowing researchers to complete workflows more efficiently.
The group most recently invested in 3 Switch hybrid pipettes to replace a competitor’s solution that proved unreliable. The team mainly uses these pipettes to perform daily repetitive tasks such as aliquoting reagents or splitting master mixes. Anja Kalender, Laboratory Technician, explained: “Our daily workflow for splitting master mixes or aliquoting reagents is definitely more efficient now, and we are seeing very stable, reproducible results for our PCRs and other assays. The Switch also shortens our turnaround times, as preparing PCRs is much faster, which saves us a lot of time every week. I would definitely recommend Switch hybrid pipettes to other labs, and the excellent customer service from Integra means that we are keen to use more of the company’s products in the future.”
(Photo courtesy of University Hospital Regensburg)
