Applied Biosystems™ AutoMate Express™ Nucleic Acid Extraction System

The AutoMate Express Nucleic Acid Extraction System is an easy-to-use benchtop instrument that enables hands-free automation of the nucleic acid extraction process for contaminant and impurity testing. The instrument uses the established PrepSEQ nucleic acid extraction chemistry for quantitative recovery of DNA and RNA from diverse samples types, including cell culture, raw material (i.e., serum), and in-process downstream purification samples such as column purification or bulk drug substance (BDS) samples.

Features of the AutoMate Express Nucleic Acid Extraction System include:

• Time-saving, cost-effective DNA extraction for mycoplasma, MMV, and vesivirus
• Reproducible recovery of DNA from complex samples
• Out-of-the-box automation with prefilled PrepSEQ Express cartridges and ready-to-run protocols
• Closed system minimizes the risk of contamination
• Ideal for in-process testing of contaminants

Three-in-one extraction of cell culture contaminants

The AutoMate Express system can be used to perform nucleic acid extraction of the common contaminants in mammalian cell culture manufacturing, i.e., mycoplasmas, MMV, and vesiviruses (Figure 1). Flexible protocols are available to isolate DNA and RNA from a single organism, or a 3-in-1 surveillance panel protocol can simultaneously extract mycoplasma, MMV, and vesivirus nucleic acid from a single sample.

Closed system with walk-away automation

The AutoMate Express system automatically performs all steps for efficient nucleic acid extraction from contaminants in a closed environment. The system uses PrepSEQ Express kits that contain sealed cartridges with extraction reagents, and plastics, including tips and sample, lysis, and elution tubes. The workflow has been designed for a completely hands-free operation enabling reproducible extraction efficiencies and reduced time-to-results.