MiTeGen Announces Collaboration and License Agreements with MagnebotiX and NatX-ray
MiTeGen LLC, a provider of innovative consumables for X-ray diffraction, crystallography and protein crystallization to academic, pharmaceutical, industrial and government researchers around the world, announced that it has signed agreements with MagnebotiX AG, and with NatX-ray SAS, and NatX-ray LLC for the development and distribution of RodBot non-contact magnetic rolling sample manipulation technology for crystallization and crystal handling.
Ithaca, NY, May 14, 2014 --(PR.com)-- RodBots are rod-shaped, magnetically responsive microrobots (typically 50 by 50 by 300 microns) that roll on a supporting surface and induce fluid flow in the surrounding solution. These localized flows can pick up and transport crystals and place them onto a loop or other extraction device. Manipulation is thus done in a non-contact manner and the gentle, distributed fluid forces safely deliver fragile protein crystals to their destination.
“Advances in structural biology require new and innovative methods and tools,” says Robert Newman, CEO. “The RodBot technology opens new frontiers never before possible including micro-stirring within small droplets during crystallization, and the ability to isolate and gently maneuver crystals within droplets for improved harvesting of the most fragile samples. We are very proud to be partnering with MagnebotiX, and to be expanding our strong relationship with NatX-ray, in order to help bring RodBot-enabled solutions to the crystallography community.”
Under the agreements, MiTeGen and NatX-ray will co-develop and co-market products implementing RodBot technology, and will share exclusive license to the technology as applied to crystallography. Initially MiTeGen will focus on developing a stand-alone system for laboratories while NatX-ray will focus on implementing the technology within their G-RobTM robot and CrystalViewerTM lines. All resulting products will be available from both NatX-ray and MiTeGen.
“We at NatX-ray are very excited by this new opportunity to continue providing innovative solutions for high-throughput crystallography by coupling the RodBot technology with our automated system for data collection, the G-RobTM system, or with our VisuBenchTM. Since its inception in 2009, NatX-ray has constantly focused its resources and energy on partnering with the best research laboratories to provide its customers with the most advanced systems on the market. In that respect, the RodBot technology developed at ETH Zurich is the perfect addition to our line of products. In addition, deepening our long-term partnership with MiTeGen will enable us to be more efficient in bringing to market these top-notch solutions for crystallography,” says Nathalie Larive, CEO of NatX-ray LLC.
Customers can see prototype systems at MiTeGen’s at ACA in Albuquerque later this month, and at both MiTeGen and NatX-ray booths at IUCr in Montreal in August. Products should be available for purchase within 2014.
“Harvesting delicate crystals is one of the few unsolved challenges in the complete automation of macromolecular crystallography, and even manual harvesting by experienced crystallographers often results in the loss of valuable crystals,” says David Sargent, co-founder and CEO of MagnebotiX AG. “With the RodBot technique we no longer have to chase after and catch the fragile crystals. RodBots waft the crystals through the solution and gently deposit them onto the loop, eliminating the direct mechanical contact and localized stresses characteristic of previous harvesting procedures. RodBot-assisted harvesting is also amenable to automation, allowing the crystallographic pipeline to be completed. MagnebotiX is delighted to partner with Mitegen and NatX-ray to make this exciting new technology available to the crystallographic community.”
About MagnebotiX
MagnebotiX develops and produces magnetic manipulation systems, including magnetic field generators and micromagnetic agents. Our products support both fundamental and applied scientific and engineering research. Taking advantage of the transmission of power and guidance through the applied magnetic fields, our systems provide wireless tools to accomplish challenging micromanipulation tasks and act as untethered mechanical probes or as targeted cargo delivery systems in otherwise inaccessible places.
MagnebotiX was founded in May, 2014, by David F. Sargent, Bradley J. Nelson and Simone Schuerle of the Multscale Robotics Laboratory of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (ETH Zürich). For more information see www.magnebotix.com.
About NatX-ray
NatX-ray (located in the Grenoble area, France, and in San Diego, California, USA) specializes in the development, manufacturing and sale of automated X-ray crystallography solutions such as the G-RobTM system (automated system for high-throughput data collection), the VisuBenchTM (inverted microscope for plate screening), and the MISCTM (micro-spectrophotometer for crystals).
NatX-ray also distributes consumable products such as its exclusive line of lanthanide phasing kits and compounds, crystallization plates and other crystallography products for laboratories and synchrotrons, in partnership with Greiner, Mitegen LLC, Crystal Positioning Systems, Inc. and Jena Bioscience. NatX-ray is exclusive distributor for the US, Canada and Mexico of Greiner CrystalQuick XTM, a 96 well plate especially developed for in situ screening.
For more information, please visit NatX-ray’s website at: www.natx-ray.com
About MiTeGen
Because our customers’ research is important, we provide innovative tools and solutions that measurably improve the ease, reproducibility, and quality of their experiments. MiTeGen engineers, manufactures and distributes a full range of the best products for the expression, crystallization, crystal harvesting, and X-ray diffraction data collection of proteins, viruses and small molecule/inorganic compounds. Our customers include academic, medical, pharmaceutical, government and industrial laboratories in more than 45 countries.
Founded in 2004, MiTeGen is based in Ithaca, NY. More information can be found at: mitegen.com
“Advances in structural biology require new and innovative methods and tools,” says Robert Newman, CEO. “The RodBot technology opens new frontiers never before possible including micro-stirring within small droplets during crystallization, and the ability to isolate and gently maneuver crystals within droplets for improved harvesting of the most fragile samples. We are very proud to be partnering with MagnebotiX, and to be expanding our strong relationship with NatX-ray, in order to help bring RodBot-enabled solutions to the crystallography community.”
Under the agreements, MiTeGen and NatX-ray will co-develop and co-market products implementing RodBot technology, and will share exclusive license to the technology as applied to crystallography. Initially MiTeGen will focus on developing a stand-alone system for laboratories while NatX-ray will focus on implementing the technology within their G-RobTM robot and CrystalViewerTM lines. All resulting products will be available from both NatX-ray and MiTeGen.
“We at NatX-ray are very excited by this new opportunity to continue providing innovative solutions for high-throughput crystallography by coupling the RodBot technology with our automated system for data collection, the G-RobTM system, or with our VisuBenchTM. Since its inception in 2009, NatX-ray has constantly focused its resources and energy on partnering with the best research laboratories to provide its customers with the most advanced systems on the market. In that respect, the RodBot technology developed at ETH Zurich is the perfect addition to our line of products. In addition, deepening our long-term partnership with MiTeGen will enable us to be more efficient in bringing to market these top-notch solutions for crystallography,” says Nathalie Larive, CEO of NatX-ray LLC.
Customers can see prototype systems at MiTeGen’s at ACA in Albuquerque later this month, and at both MiTeGen and NatX-ray booths at IUCr in Montreal in August. Products should be available for purchase within 2014.
“Harvesting delicate crystals is one of the few unsolved challenges in the complete automation of macromolecular crystallography, and even manual harvesting by experienced crystallographers often results in the loss of valuable crystals,” says David Sargent, co-founder and CEO of MagnebotiX AG. “With the RodBot technique we no longer have to chase after and catch the fragile crystals. RodBots waft the crystals through the solution and gently deposit them onto the loop, eliminating the direct mechanical contact and localized stresses characteristic of previous harvesting procedures. RodBot-assisted harvesting is also amenable to automation, allowing the crystallographic pipeline to be completed. MagnebotiX is delighted to partner with Mitegen and NatX-ray to make this exciting new technology available to the crystallographic community.”
About MagnebotiX
MagnebotiX develops and produces magnetic manipulation systems, including magnetic field generators and micromagnetic agents. Our products support both fundamental and applied scientific and engineering research. Taking advantage of the transmission of power and guidance through the applied magnetic fields, our systems provide wireless tools to accomplish challenging micromanipulation tasks and act as untethered mechanical probes or as targeted cargo delivery systems in otherwise inaccessible places.
MagnebotiX was founded in May, 2014, by David F. Sargent, Bradley J. Nelson and Simone Schuerle of the Multscale Robotics Laboratory of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems (ETH Zürich). For more information see www.magnebotix.com.
About NatX-ray
NatX-ray (located in the Grenoble area, France, and in San Diego, California, USA) specializes in the development, manufacturing and sale of automated X-ray crystallography solutions such as the G-RobTM system (automated system for high-throughput data collection), the VisuBenchTM (inverted microscope for plate screening), and the MISCTM (micro-spectrophotometer for crystals).
NatX-ray also distributes consumable products such as its exclusive line of lanthanide phasing kits and compounds, crystallization plates and other crystallography products for laboratories and synchrotrons, in partnership with Greiner, Mitegen LLC, Crystal Positioning Systems, Inc. and Jena Bioscience. NatX-ray is exclusive distributor for the US, Canada and Mexico of Greiner CrystalQuick XTM, a 96 well plate especially developed for in situ screening.
For more information, please visit NatX-ray’s website at: www.natx-ray.com
About MiTeGen
Because our customers’ research is important, we provide innovative tools and solutions that measurably improve the ease, reproducibility, and quality of their experiments. MiTeGen engineers, manufactures and distributes a full range of the best products for the expression, crystallization, crystal harvesting, and X-ray diffraction data collection of proteins, viruses and small molecule/inorganic compounds. Our customers include academic, medical, pharmaceutical, government and industrial laboratories in more than 45 countries.
Founded in 2004, MiTeGen is based in Ithaca, NY. More information can be found at: mitegen.com
Contact
Mitegen, LLC
Robert Newman
607-266-8877
www.mitegen.com
Robert Newman
607-266-8877
www.mitegen.com
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