Nicoya Introduces the First Digital Benchtop SPR System

On January 23, 2020, Nicoya, an analytical instruments company, announced the launch of Alto, a fully automated, high-throughput benchtop surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system. Alto is the first SPR device to combine digital microfluidics (DMF), artificial intelligence (AI), and nanotechnology into one instrument.

By utilizing the DMF technology, the need for physical pumps, valves, and tubes are replaced with a disposable cartridge that is compliant with the standard well-plate form factor, according to a company press release. All fluidics are maintained within the cartridge and it allows for the handling of 2μL sample volumes for full kinetics. The device also includes a 16-channel design, automated serial dilutions, and sample-in and answer-out data, throughput, and constant runtime via AI-driven automation capabilities.

“We’ve spent years working with the world’s leading scientists and researchers to better understand the issues they experience with SPR, including high costs, low throughput, frequent downtime, and complex assay design requirements,” said Ryan Denomme, co-founder and CEO of Nicoya, in the press release. “Alto is the third instrument we have released to date, but the first to use DMF technology for SPR, which solves all of these issues.”

“By combining the advantages of DMF technology with several other innovations, Alto significantly reduces the hands-on time scientists have to endure to get high quality SPR data,” added Arjun Sudarsan, chief technology officer of Nicoya, in the press release. “The future of drug discovery is digital, and Alto is very well positioned to lead the way.”

Source: Nicoya