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Eppendorf's epMotion 5070 Liquid Handling System

Date: 2009-02-02 06:26:07 Member: Jason Garner Category: Product Discipline: Life Sciences Link: http://www.eppendorf.com/int/index.php?action=epmotion&contentid=2

PRICE - $38,000 w/1-year warranty (nicely equipped)

The GOOD:
- Assay design almost limitless
- Has multiple work spaces (using various consumables)
- Functional interface without bulky computer
- Can pipette as little as 1uL - <2% CV (up to 1000 uL)
- Single and 8-channel pipetting

The BAD:
- Interface operating system relies on quirky filing system which takes some extra time to master
- Requires specialized tips
- Not equipped with integrated heat/cold block (standard on 5075 models) but can add anodized block on workspace
- Not lightning fast - but thats okay

We love our 5070. I first saw this thing in action at an ASM conference in Toronto one year, actually it was the 5070's bigger brother, the 5075. I could not believe the flexibility. We had Eppendorf come down and do a demo using a 5070 and WOW. Now, my motivation for bringing this thing on was to free up our tech force to do other things - let it do your mastermixes while you're at lunch! Kind of like Ronco's baster oven - set it and forget it!

It is an enclosed unit (vertical lift door) with a modest footprint (easily fill out a 4-ft bench) than can even fit into some laminar flow hoods. You can pipette from plate to plate, tube to plate, plate to tube, ad nauseam. You can use all popular plates (although it may require some configuring), tubes, different sized tubes, and other popular consumables. You can even pipette from reservoirs using their unique reservoir holders (2 sizes). The nice thing is that reagent viscosities are not created equal, but are no match for the epMotion. Using viscous glycerol? Change the program that adjust aspiration and dead volumes, and voila.

It can accomodate general pipetting chores like serial dilutions but also can easily muster genomics applications, cell culture applications, nucleic acid applications, and even complex assays like Luminex. There are 8 pipetting heads available (no you don't have to buy all 8), that allow you to pipette from 1uL to 1000ul in single or multi-channel configurations. The heads simply remove with a twist and tug. There's a used tip bag enclosed.

The only thing I would say to look out for is bubble production when dispensing low volumes (<10 uL). Most of the time this can be overcome by using a larger pipette (if applicable) or adjusting the programming to adjust aspiration speed and dead volumes. The latter usually corrects it.

Wanna take one for a testdrive? Call your local Eppendorf ARTS rep and they'll come out an demo one for you (about half a day) for FREE! If you need some contact info, I'm happy to pass it along.

JLG

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