Four New Workstations to Support Genomics and Proteomics Applications

The new workstations enable labs to run more efficiently at a fraction of the cost

BROOKLYN, NY — Opentrons Robotics announced the largest expansion of its automation portfolio to date, launching four new OT-2 workstation products supporting popular applications, including NGS, PCR, and protein purification. These launches build on the success of the OT-2 COVID-19 workstations, which have been used by hundreds of labs around the world to rapidly scale reliable, standardized COVID-19 testing and screening workflows. The new workstations comprise the OT-2 platform, application-specific hardware, pipettes and labware, and custom protocol development, allowing any lab to set up automated workflows in just a few days, at a fraction of the cost of other automation solutions.

The four new workstations are:

• NGS Workstation, enabling automation of multiple steps of the pre-sequencing workflow including library and sample preparation, with verified protocols for reagents from Illumina®, New England Biolabs®, Roche®, and Swift/IDT™ with further verified protocols for other reagents anticipated in mid-2022.
• PCR Workstation, enabling automated setup of PCR reactions and optional on-board amplification with verified protocols for reagents from Illumina and Swift/IDT.
• Dual Flow Chromatography-Based Protein Purification Workstation, enabling automated protein purification with Biotage PhyTip® columns to maximize binding interactions and sample recovery.
• Magnetic Bead-Based Protein Purification and Protein Assay Workstation, enabling automated protein purification and sample preparation for proteomics, as well as automating setups for popular protein separation and quantification assays.

“The expansion of our OT-2 portfolio will bring the benefits of radically simple, accessible automation to new customers,” said David Kim, general manager of Opentrons Robotics. “Throughout the pandemic, our automation suite has enabled labs to rapidly pivot into COVID-19 testing, screening and genomic surveillance by using the OT-2 and our modules. Along with their ease of setup, our solutions help labs run more efficiently—through accurate, reproducible results, all in an automated fashion, which frees up scientists’ time. Opentrons’ new workstations will bring all these benefits to scientists working across genomics and proteomics applications.”

“The Opentrons system has enhanced our team’s ability to access purified mRNA reliably and quickly, which is vital for our work developing innovative gene-based therapies,” said Dr. Xinyue Zhang, an investigator at Luye Life Sciences in Massachusetts. “The Opentrons team are very supportive, and they offer custom protocol development, which we utilized for our workflow. Now, preparing mRNA is as easy as loading the reagents, selecting the protocol, and then waiting a few hours.”

The OT-2 is a high-precision, open-source personal pipetting robot designed to be easy for scientists to use and flexible enough to automate many application workflows. The robot and its accompanying automation platform are used to automate hundreds of protocols and workflows in genomics, proteomics, cell-based assays, and drug discovery.

For more information, visit: https://opentrons.com/