Reduces hands-on time and operator training burden with push-button protocols
The Callisto Sample Prep System is now commercially available. (Credit: Trnava University on Unsplash)
Volta Labs, a genomics applications company, announced today the introduction of the Callisto Sample Prep System, a benchtop instrument with many pre-optimized applications that reduces operational requirements and costs in the laboratory and clinic that were previously cost-prohibitive.
”There’s an actual shortage today of trained personnel who can perform sample prep for sequencing. The role that Volta Labs is poised to play in increasing access to this vital technology is critical. If we’re going to put sequencers everywhere, we need to be able to do sample prep everywhere,” said John Stuelpnagel, co–founder of Illumina and Volta Labs investor.
The Callisto Sample Prep System consists of a benchtop instrument and associated consumables, requiring no specialized skills or infrastructure to operate.
Some key features include:
- A wide range of pre-optimized applications that support short- and long-read sequencing workflows; from nucleic acid extractions to sequencing-ready libraries
- Flexible batch sizes of up to 24 reactions per run and improved scalability for low- and high-throughput applications; and
- Significantly reduced hands-on time, plastic waste, and reagent usage
“Over the past five years, we have optimized our digital fluidics technology to help labs eliminate the burden of method development, improve operational flexibility, and reduce risks related to manual sample handling,” said Udayan Umapathi, founder and CEO at Volta Labs. “We’ve reinvented the hardware and software used to run standard protocols, creating powerful solutions for sample prep and beyond.”
Industry-leading institutions are already experiencing the opportunities opened up by the Callisto™ Sample Prep System. Among the Volta Labs early access collaborators are Broad Clinical Labs, Ginkgo Bioworks, and Mount Sinai.
“We haven’t found an effective way to scale and automate long-read whole genome sample preparation as effectively as we can with Volta’s Callisto platform,” said Robert Sebra, Director of the Center for Advanced Genomics Technology at Mount Sinai. “We’re really excited to maximize our sequencing utility and accelerate data-driven discoveries with more efficient, automated sample preparation methods.”
“Volta will enable us to go from sample to data in two days versus one week, without incurring the associated labor costs,” Alex Plocik, Head of NGS, Ginkgo Bioworks.
Volta Labs will have Callisto available for demonstration at the 2024 AGBT General Meeting and is now accepting orders, with shipments expected to begin in Q2 2024.
Source: Company Press Release