Automating ELISA experiments

The group is currently working on a project that may lead to the development of new vaccines against the hepatitis C virus. As with many immunology projects, ELISAs are commonly used in the lab to assess immune and antibody responses. A PhD student working on the project explained: “We perform multiple ELISAs every day in our lab, and it would be impossible to manually pipette that many reagents and samples as quickly. We use the VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384 electronic handheld pipette to carry out key liquid handling steps, including blocking and the addition of secondary antibodies, substrates and stop solutions.”

These repetitive tasks are well suited to more automated approaches using the programmable protocols on the VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384. “We’ve been exploring the programmable settings more recently to streamline our workflows. We have now set up the instruments to automatically add TMB substrate and HCl stop solution to the ELISA plate, meaning we can perform these steps more quickly and accurately.”

Saving time on repetitive ELISA steps 

The introduction of the VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384 has enabled the lab to perform experiments more quickly and ergonomically than with manual pipetting. “It still takes a long time to perform ELISAs, but there’s a lot less stress on the individual, both in terms of the risk of errors creeping in from repetitive pipetting, and the manual strain; gone are the days where I would get pain in my shoulder or tendons from repeated pipetting,” they continued. “The repeat dispense mode really helps when we do protein purification and aliquoting. This task would normally take about an hour but, with the VIAFLO 96 or VIAFLO 384, we can finish in less than 30 minutes – it really does cut the time in half, meaning we can do other things in the lab.” The time saved by using the VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384 means that trainees in the lab can learn more techniques, as the student explained: “Now there’s not hours and hours of mundane work to do, the undergrads who help out in the lab get to do more exciting tasks than just diluting proteins!”

Improving workflows across the lab

The lab also uses a range of other INTEGRA products to improve the efficiency of its protocols. “We really love INTEGRA in our lab; its products have become essential for all our workflows. We have many other products for different tasks, including several VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipettes, and PIPETBOY acu 2 serological pipet controllers, and use them for all dilutions, transfers and mixing of reagents to ensure consistency.”

The wealth of INTEGRA products in the lab means high quality support is essential. “Our INTEGRA rep is really helpful. He’s visited our lab several times to service our VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384, provide demonstrations of other products and teach us how to program our devices, saving us hours of time. We’ve only had positive experiences with INTEGRA – I only have good things to say!”

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