MDS Analytical Technologies Introduces Expanded Application Potential for Arcturus® Laser Capture Microdissection Systems

MDS Analytical Technologies today announced the release of new options to expand and streamline laser capture microdissection (LCM) applications. The expanded offering includes new modular stage inserts for the ArcturusXT™ and Veritas™ LCM instruments, and the addition of motorized control for a number of ArcturusXT™ system components. The additions enhance the flexibility of the Arcturus® LCM instruments to perform sensitive and specific molecular analysis in such fields as stem-cell research, cancer research, proteomics and drug discovery.

“New stage inserts for the Arcturus LCM instruments eliminate sample preparation constraints for neurobiologists performing microdissection, providing more versatility and flexibility with which to execute experiments,” said Andy Boorn, President of MDS Analytical Technologies. “By optimizing the efficiency of the microdissection process through motorization, and having dual laser capabilities, the ArcturusXT™ instrument provides faster, easier access to pure cell populations.”

To address the growing desire of neuroscientists to perform microdissection on fixed neuronal sections, new stage inserts have been developed for the ArcturusXT™ and Veritas™ LCM systems, which accommodate larger slide formats common to neurological sample preparations. The stage inserts can be adjusted by the user to hold 25 mm, 38 mm, and 50 mm slides. The two available slide positions may be configured to allow the use of multiple slide sizes during one microdissection session, providing improved experimental flexibility.

For researchers performing applications such as live cell microdissection, which take advantage of the ArcturusXT™ system’s Epi-fluorescence, phase contrast or differential interference contrast illumination, workflow is now accelerated by motorization of these features on the ArcturusXT™ instrument. This enhanced motorization augments the automation of the instrument and allows researchers to rapidly switch between brightfield and alternate illumination methods with a single software command. The improved speed and flexibility provided by the new motorized features expand the possibilities within any microdissection experiment, making the entire process faster and simpler for any user.

The ArcturusXT™ system will be presented at the American Society for Human Genetics Annual Meeting 2008, November 11-14 in Philadelphia (MDS Analytical Technologies’ booth #931), as well as at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, November 15 – 19 in Washington (MDS Analytical Technologies’ booth #1701).