Formulatrix NT8 Automated Nanoliter-Scale Liquid Handling System with Dual Low and High Volume Dispense Heads

The Formulatrix NT8 Automated Nanoliter-scale Liquid Handling System is an advanced laboratory instrument engineered for precise and automated nanoliter to microliter liquid dispensing, critical in bioprocessing, protein crystallization, and molecular diagnostics workflows. This dual-head system integrates an 8-channel low-volume (LV) dispense head capable of dispensing volumes from approximately 50 nL to 1.8 µL using low dead-volume liquid displacement pipetting with flexible finger Z-compliance technology for accurate drop formation. Simultaneously, it features a high-volume (HV) dispense head supporting up to 200 µL per channel with disposable tips, ideal for deep-well microplate aspiration and daughter plate creation.

Key Technical Features:

• Automated 8-channel nanoliter liquid handling with motorized XYZ positioning for highly precise plate manipulation
• Dual integrated dispense heads: LV for nanoliter precision (~50 nL–1.8 µL), HV for bulk dispensing (up to 200 µL)
• Flexible finger Z-compliance ensures consistent drop placement and minimizes mechanical stress on tips
• Independent contact and liquid-level sensors for both LV and HV tip attachments enable reliable liquid detection and contamination control
• Enclosed active humidification system maintaining up to ~95% relative humidity reduces sample evaporation during extended protocols
• Deck compatible with SBS-format microplates, tip caddies, protein source blocks, wash/waste stations, and deep-well plates
• Supports applications including protein crystallization drop setting, plate copying, nanoliter assay setup, and high-precision reagent dispensing

Applications and Relevance:

This system is essential for biotechnology labs engaged in gene editing, synthetic biology, and molecular cloning workflows that require ultra-precise reagent dispensing at nanoliter volumes. It is widely adopted in biopharmaceutical production pipelines where automated high-throughput liquid handling reduces variability and enhances reproducibility. The humidity control feature is critical for live-cell analysis and sensitive biochemical assays, ensuring sample integrity. Additionally, the NT8’s plate copying capabilities accelerate workflows in biomedical engineering and clinical diagnostics, facilitating efficient daughter plate creation and assay replication.

Additional Notes:

• The system ships with necessary accessories including wash and waste jugs (with fluid level sensor), power cables, low-volume tips (1.5 µL capacity), and tubing
• Software licensing and configuration require a visit from the manufacturer; the instrument is sold untested without warranty due to lack of software license activation
• Pre-owned but functionally intact, with good cosmetic condition
• Technical sales consultation and virtual or on-site demos available for prospective purchasers
• Designed for compatibility with standard consumables from Formulatrix to optimize performance and workflow efficiency

The Formulatrix NT8 represents a robust solution for laboratories requiring automated nanoliter-scale liquid handling with integrated humidity control, critical in advanced cellular assays, fluorescence analysis, and synthetic biology research. Its dual dispense heads and comprehensive liquid sensing capabilities ensure versatile precision liquid handling across diverse microplate formats, supporting high-throughput biotechnology assay development.