The firefly features novel dispensing technology to minimize pipette tip use. It uses air-displacement pipetting in the 0.5 to 125 μL range, accommodating a variety of 96- or 384-well-plate formats. The instrument is application-ready, with prevalidated protocols for library preparation kits NEBNext Ultra II DNA, NEBNext Ultra II FS DNA, NEBNext Ultra II RNA, and Illumina DNA Prep. In addition, there is a rolling program of new validated protocols in development, according to SPT Labtech. Furthermore, automated tip loading streamlines time-consuming processes, and flexible column loading makes it easier for researchers to manage partial plates or partitioning of plates.

"We've made the software really intuitive and easy to use. It's a really nice graphical user interface, drag-and-drop workflow," said Paul Lomax, genomics product manager at SPT Labtech, at the event. "So, we really want this to be something that is a walk-up-and-use instrument for anyone in the lab."

SPT Labtech's new apricot DC1 is a compact and accessible automated pipettor featuring a dual-core pipetting head and a 9 + 1 position deck. The apricot DC1 integrates four separate pipetting tools within a single benchtop unit to allow for high-volume and low-volume, single- and multichannel pipetting. The instrument is compatible with a wide range of labware to support many different applications.

In October 2021, the company rolled out a combined portfolio of products incorporating product lines from its 2021 strategic acquisitions of Apricot Designs, a liquid handling instrumentation provider, and BioMicroLab, a specialist in benchtop automation.

The SPT Labtech team debuted the company's combined product offering for the first time at SLAS 2022, including the dragonfly, multichannel, noncontact dispensing-from-positive displacement syringes, and the mosquito, a positive-displacement pipetting solution.

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