Scalable system significantly lowers cost of automating multiple step experimental procedures

Available from Symyx Technologies, Inc. - Benchtop Systems is an innovative self-contained, software-driven, system for automating multiple steps of experimental procedures. Benchtop Systems increase testing capacity by 10-100 times and take labour-intensive, repetitive work away from scientists, freeing them to better utilise their training and talents on other tasks. The system automates multiple steps of experimental procedures and comes with standard configurations and applications that are designed to accelerate R&D while reducing costs.

"In today's market, resource-constrained R&D labs are tasked with achieving breakthrough results in less time and with fewer resources," said Vinzenz Hohl, general manager of Symyx Technologies Europe SA. "Symyx Benchtop Systems are designed to help R&D labs excel and deliver the step-change performance required to remain competitive. Unlike any offering currently on the market, our Benchtop System allows researchers to implement a set of discrete modules for a specific project, and then add to those modules over time to build out an integrated workflow to automate complete lab processes, without replacing existing elements."

Symyx Benchtop Systems build on the company's proven expertise in accelerating and improving R&D execution, and provide a self-contained station and standard hardware and software configurations to carry out multiple steps of discrete experimental procedures. It utilises the hardware framework of the Symyx Core Module Robotic Base Station. Benchtop Systems include miniaturised materials preparation capabilities (dual dispensing capabilities for both liquids and powder), sample processing capabilities (heating, cooling, mixing, and filtration), and sample analysis capabilities (weights, pH, imaging) - all combined with automated instrument control. The offering is powered by Symyx Software, providing a single experiment design and execution environment that reduces instrumentation set-up and data-handling overhead. The system hardware and software are upgradeable to perform automated experimentation for complete lab processes which would include integration with lab equipment and the ability to support document browsing and searching, enterprise-level security and auditing, and configurable document workflow.

Benchtop Systems is the first Symyx Tools offering to be developed at the Company's European headquarters in Geneva. Benchtop Systems combine powder-handling technology with the liquid-handling expertise of the Symyx Core Module.

Current applications supported by Benchtop Systems include: Analytical Sample Preparation, Coatings Characterisation, Crystallisation Studies, Excipient Compatibility Studies, Forced Degradation/Stability Testing, Optimising Liquid Formulations, Powder Dispensing and Solubility Testing.