Oct 22, 2025 12:00:00 AM
Less labor with automated sample preparation at UEA
By Biotage
"Biotage® Extrahera™ Classic is a versatile platform, a great tool for method development,” says Jonathan Tang at the University of East Anglia about the Biotage® Extrahera™ Classic automated sample processor.
Figure 1: Biotage® Extrahera™ Classic automated sample processor (Left) and ISOLUTE® SLE+ (Right)
Figure 2: Jonathan Tang- Manager of the Bioanalytical Facility
Jonathan Tang is Manager of the Bioanalytical Facility and Research Fellow in metabolic bone disease at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. His research focuses on diseases in the human skeleton.
“I lead an active research group investigating the diagnosis and treatment of metabolic bone disease, including osteoporosis and Paget’s Disease of bone,” Jonathan explains.
Jonathan Tang’s work involves detailed analysis of relevant metabolic markers. Just like in any research on biological matrices, clean samples are crucial for good recovery. ISOLUTE® SLE+ products have proven successful to achieve this.
“We found that unwanted phospholipid species were causing interference with the LC-MS/MS 25-hydroxyl vitamin D assay, particularly in long term storage samples,” says Jonathan.
“ISOLUTE® SLE+ provided the perfect solution for removal of phospho- lipids, it is far less labour intensive than solid phase extraction methods and can be easily automated on the Extrahera. It has greatly reduced the time it takes to process samples.”
Biotage® Extrahera™ Classic is a modern automation platform for sample preparation, fully contained with liquid handling and positive pressure for sample processing. Jonathan is impressed with its performance.
“Biotage® Extrahera™ Classicis a versatile platform, a great tool for method development and yet reliable for handling high volume workloads. The small footprint means it doesn’t take up much valuable bench space, and the user-customizable interface is a joy to use.”
Apart from the products themselves, Jonathan values the support his research group receives from Biotage.
“They have good customer service with a great team of technical specialists supporting application development needs.”
University of East Anglia - BAF
The Bioanalytical Facility of UEA supports research in the wider Norwich Research Park with advanced mass spectrometric and immunoanalytical equipment and expertise. In partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital they form the unique Supra-Regional Assay and Advisory Service (SAAS) centre for analysis and clinical interpretation of specialist tests regarding bone markers and bone metabolism.
Literature number: PPS416
Published: Dec 5, 2025 11:15:00 PM