Easy PCR set-up with TouchTools™ PCR Wizard

Researchers at the National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, ISPRA) in Italy have been testing the TouchTools™ PCR Wizard with the Freedom EVO® PCR workstation to simplify complex genetics workflows. Dr Nadia Mucci, a technologist in ISPRA’s Laboratory of Genetics, explained: “We purchased two Freedom EVO platforms in 2010 to automate our pre- and post-PCR sample processing, and chose Tecan instruments because we appreciated the technology, the support from Tecan’s application specialists, and the user-friendly software which offered us the opportunity to develop automated protocols for many more applications.”

“To further improve our workflow, we recently tested the new TouchTools PCR Wizard with our broad range of DNA markers on a Freedom EVO PCR workstation equipped with an air displacement pipetting arm. This software has proved extremely useful for our PCR experiments, particularly when we have a lot of different combinations to perform. It is also very helpful for inexperienced users, allowing them to set up and run protocols without the need for programming knowledge. Colleagues who rarely used our existing Freedom EVO workstations are now interested in working on the platform with the TouchTools PCR Wizard, and more experienced team members find it very useful for complicated PCR experiments. It guides the user through the entire process and simplifies sample preparation for a wide range of PCR-based techniques – including sequencing, genotyping, DNA profiling, gene expression and detection of pathogens – reducing training time and costs.”

To find out more on Tecan’s PCR solutions, visit www.tecan.com/pcr.