What's Happening?
Copia Scientific, a provider of laboratory automation and integration solutions, has announced a new distribution agreement with Hombrechtikon Systems Engineering AG (HSE•AG), a Swiss developer of laboratory instrumentation. This partnership will bring
HSE•AG’s eviFluor Duo Fluorometer and eviDense UV Photometer to laboratories across the United States and Canada. Copia Scientific will provide automation, integration, and service expertise to support the implementation of these new technologies. The agreement aims to expand Copia Scientific’s PlateCentric laboratory automation portfolio by incorporating compact, on-deck measurement technologies that integrate nucleic acid quantification directly into automated liquid handling workflows. This move is designed to address a common challenge in automated laboratory processes, where samples often need to be removed from liquid handlers for offline quantification and quality control, leading to increased manual intervention and potential inefficiencies.
Why It's Important?
This collaboration is significant for North American life science laboratories as it promises to streamline critical quality control steps in research and diagnostic workflows. By integrating nucleic acid quantification directly into automated liquid handling systems, laboratories can reduce manual pipetting, eliminate the need for separate benchtop instruments, and automate data transfer. This integration is expected to improve data integrity, maximize walk-away time for lab personnel, and create more efficient end-to-end workflows. For applications such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), these technologies will enable rapid, label-free DNA quantification and purity assessment, as well as sensitive fluorescence-based measurement for library quality control. The ability to use concentration data for automated sample normalization will further reduce manual handling and ensure consistent sample preparation, ultimately accelerating research and development in various life science fields.
What's Next?
Under the terms of the agreement, Copia Scientific will serve as an authorized distributor for HSE•AG’s eviFluor Duo Fluorometer, eviDense UV Photometer, and their associated accessories and consumables throughout the U.S. and Canada. Copia Scientific will also be responsible for providing installation, application assistance, preventative maintenance, warranty coordination, and first-line technical support for these products. The company plans to integrate HSE•AG products into complete laboratory automation workflows, including solutions built around Opentrons liquid handlers, NAYO A8 mini, other compatible third-party automation platforms, laboratory software, and custom Copia automation solutions. This comprehensive approach aims to ensure seamless adoption and optimal performance of the new quantification technologies within existing and future laboratory setups, with the goal of enhancing overall laboratory efficiency and data reliability.
Beyond the Headlines
The partnership between Copia Scientific and HSE•AG highlights a broader trend in the life sciences industry towards greater automation and integration of laboratory processes. The focus on 'on-deck' measurement technologies reflects a strategic effort to minimize human error and improve the reproducibility of experimental results, which are critical for scientific discovery and the development of new therapies. This advancement could lead to faster turnaround times for research projects, more reliable diagnostic outcomes, and ultimately, a more efficient allocation of resources within research institutions and pharmaceutical companies. The emphasis on reducing manual intervention also addresses the growing demand for high-throughput screening and analysis, which is essential for tackling complex biological questions and accelerating the pace of innovation in areas like genomics, proteomics, and drug discovery.
