Molecular Devices launches automated QPix FLEX microbial colony picking system
From synthetic biology to microbiome and food safety research, the QPix FLEX system gives researchers the power to accelerate discovery, reduce hands-on time, and streamline their entire microbial screening process
19 May 2025
Molecular Devices has launched the QPix® FLEX™ Microbial Colony Picking System that automates and streamlines multi-step microbial screening workflows, reducing manual labor and saving valuable time. Thanks to its small footprint — designed to fit easily on a lab bench or in constrained spaces like an anaerobic chamber — it supports an extensive range of research areas, from microbial strain engineering to microbiome research, while ensuring complete sample tracking and traceability for reliable results.
For scientists working in protein engineering and microbiome, traditional colony picking remains a bottleneck, often requiring hours of tedious manual labor and risking contamination or tracking errors. As projects scale and timelines tighten, researchers struggle with fragmented workflows, cramped lab spaces, and data integrity challenges. The QPix FLEX system removes these roadblocks, empowering researchers to automate their workflows without sacrificing accuracy, sterility, or traceability.
Key features and benefits of the QPix FLEX Microbial Colony Picking System include:
- Built for precision and flexibility: The QPix FLEX system combines over 95% efficiency and greater than 99% picking accuracy with advanced colormetric imaging, enabling researchers to classify and select colonies based on both morphology and color.
- Compact design, big impact: Ideal for labs with limited space, the QPix FLEX fits on the benchtop or inside hypoxic or anaerobic chambers. Its configurable deck and modular architecture grow with research needs.
- Precision picking with phenotypic insight: Advanced imaging and ultrasonic agar sensing deliver near-perfect picking accuracy, enabling detailed colony analysis by morphology and color for smarter downstream screening.
- Built-in sterility and traceability: Integrated UV decontamination, ultrasonic tip washing, and optional HEPA filtration reduce contamination risk. Complete barcode-based sample tracking ensures data integrity at every step.
- End-to-end workflow automation: Combines plating, streaking, colony picking, and hit picking in a single instrument, reducing hands-on time and error-prone manual steps while accelerating screening throughput.
“This multifunctional, integrated platform streamlines microbiology workflows and boosts productivity with advanced multimodal imaging and high-efficiency picking, making it ideal for small labs or challenging microbes,” said Mary Duseau, President of Molecular Devices. “It reflects our commitment to enabling all scientists — regardless of lab size — to innovate faster, scale up more confidently, and achieve scientific breakthroughs in synthetic biology, microbiome research, and beyond.”
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