Tecan releases the new HS Pro™ series of automated microarray hybridization stations

Tecan's new HS 400 Pro^TM and HS 4800 Pro^TM are based on the well-established HS series of hybridization stations and have been designed to maximize the reproducibility and reliability of microarray research by providing fully automated slide processing, from pre-hybridization to automated slide drying. These new instruments help to generate less background and fewer artifacts, while increasing detection sensitivity.

The HS 400 Pro and HS 4800 Pro feature Tecan's unique ABS^TM (Active Bubble Suppression) system, which minimizes the risk of bubble formation within the chambers, eliminates hybridization artifacts and enhances the consistency of results. The new systems benefit from a variety of low volume hybridization chambers that save precious samples and are also available with novel dual chambers, easily interchangeable with single area chambers, to fully automate the processing of two independent sub-arrays per slide without the risk of carryover. The added advantage of improved agitation of viscous buffers during hybridization has led to better sensitivity and specificity and helps to decrease hybridization times.

The HS 400 Pro and HS 4800 Pro are ideal for automating a variety of microarray research applications, including DNA and protein arrays, and in situ hybridization. The HS 400 Pro is the instrument of choice for small to medium laboratories wanting to process 1-4 slides per run while the HS 4800 Pro offers the higher capacity of up to 48 slides per run to meet even the most demanding throughput requirements.