Tecan’s Freedom Evo system wins praise from Austrian experts

Tecan has highlighted the positive testimony it has received from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety following its use of the Freedom Evo workstation.

Molecular biologists from the agency have been relying on the device to perform automated nucleic acid extraction as part of their routine veterinary surveillance workload, which included monitoring the spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

Given the number of samples they were having to analyse, the automated nature of the workstation proved extremely useful, as nucleic acid extractions no longer needed to be carried out by hand.

Thanks to its reliability, speed and its flexibility to prepare different sample types and automate both vacuum and magnetic bead-based methods, the team has been confident enough to order a second unit, in response to an outbreak of bluetongue throughout Europe.

Dr Sandra Revilla Fernandez, head of the molecular biology department at Tecan, said: "With two Freedom Evo systems and a super­-efficient workflow, we know we will have the results ready on time."

Last month, the firm announced its financial results for the first half of 2013, during which it recorded a stable sales performance.