Eppendorf North America has announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The University of Colorado at Boulder, the pilot laboratories working on the Earth Microbiome Project (EMP). As part of this collaboration Eppendorf is helping to develop automated protocols for DNA extraction and library preparation workflows from environmental samples using its epMotion automated pipetting system.
“The EMP is redefining the paradigm of microbial ecology by exploring microbial biodiversity” notes Jack Gilbert from Argonne National Laboratory. “Our aim is to produce a biomap of microbial life, defining the conditions under which you find different processes, exploring the routes of distribution for microbial communities around the world, and determining the secret life of our microbial earth. We are exploring the importance of microbial life in maintaining the health of our planet, and in providing the services we take for granted.”
“The ambitious goals set forth by the researchers working on the EMP will significantly expand the understanding of the global microbial community” notes Jamie Grossi, Group Marketing Manager for Liquid Handling at Eppendorf NA. “The epMotion is an easy to use, flexible and open platform capable of adapting to the varying needs of each genomics application and will be an ideal tool for laboratories working on the EMP that will have diverse needs when working on such a wide range of samples.”
Date: April 14, 2011
Source: Eppendorf North America, Inc.