
Hamilton Microlab NIMBUS
The Microlab NIMBUS 96 workstation is a compact, automated liquid handler specifically configured for utilizing Omega Bio-tek’s Mag-BIND® chemistry for nucleic acid purification. The system offers speed, flexibility, ease of use, and superior pipetting performance at a surprisingly affordable price. It incorporates predefined methods for processing a wide variety of sample types and is backed by Omega Bio-tek’s and Hamilton’s renowned service and applications support.
Pre-Scripted
Over 13 applications pre-scripted Omega Bio-tek kits
GUI Based Deck Setup
Step by Step guides for loading deck and volumes to add to reservoirs
Optimized Tip Usage
Tip Isolator carrier used throughout the process to help lower customer consumable costs Most protocols require under 3 racks of tips for 96-samples
Unmatched Flexibility
DNA & RNA can be purified with minimal hands-on requirements and can easily be adapted for full or partial plate processing. Optimized programming gives you an out-of-the-box solution that allows for the successful implementation of your downstream application. Whether you are performing next-generation sequencing on clinical samples or metagenomics from rare environmental samples, Omega Bio-tek offers chemistry to fit your evolving application needs.
Unique Features
- Air Displacement Pipetting
Hamilton utilizes proven air displacement pipetting, similar to high precision handheld electronic pipettors. - Compressed O-Ring Expansion
Compressed O-ring expansion attaches disposable tips using a highly robust lock-and-key style mechanism. - Liquid Level Detection
Capacitative LLD (c-LLD) can determine liquid levels in plates and reservoirs located on the pipetting deck.
Pre-Scripted Applications
Sample type | Target nucleic acid | Product | Sample Amount | Estimated Offline processing | Online processing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whole blood, saliva | gDNA | Mag-BIND® Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ 96 Kit | 10-250 µL | 5 min | 80 min |
Buccal swabs | gDNA | Mag-BIND® Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ 96 Kit | 1 swab | 30 min | 70 min |
Serum/plasma | Cell-free DNA | Mag-BIND® cfDNA Kit | 750 µL | 5 min | 80 min |
Bacterial, fungal, yeast DNA, viral DNA/RNA | Mag-BIND® Universal Pathogen Kit | 10-250 µL | 30 min | 60 min | |
Viral DNA & RNA | Mag-BIND® Viral DNA/RNA Kit | 10-200 µL | 5 min | 60 min | |
Cultured cells & soft tissues | gDNA | Mag-BIND® Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ 96 Kit | 1×106 cells 5-10 mg tissue | 5 min 1-3 hr | 80 min 70 min |
Total RNA | Mag-BIND® Total RNA Kit | 1×106 cells 5-10 mg tissue | 20 min | 70 min | |
FFPE | gDNA | Mag-BIND® FFPE DNA Kit | 3-5 sections | 3-5 hr | 70 min |
Urine | Bacterial, fungal, yeast DNA, viral DNA & RNA | Mag-BIND® Universal Pathogen Kit | 10-250 µL | 30 min | 60 min |
Soil & environmental samples | Bacterial, yeast, fungal DNA | Mag-BIND® Environmental DNA Kit | 250 mg | 45 min | 60 min |
PCR products & next-generation sequencing | Fragmented DNA | Mag-BIND® TotalPure NGS | 10-50 µL | 5 min | 30 min |
Fecal | Bacterial, fungal, yeast DNA, viral DNA & RNA | Mag-BIND® Universal Pathogen Kit | 10-250 µL | 30 min | 60 min |
Plant tissue | gDNA | Mag-BIND® Plant DNA DS Kit | 50-100 mg | 50 min | 85 min |
Software and Setup
Step 1. Input sample number & elution volume
Each predefined script can process between 1-96 samples per run. The final elution volume for each method can be set between 50-200 µL, providing flexibility to the end user for adjusting final DNA or RNA concentrations.
Step 2. Load tips & tip isolator plate
The number of samples entered in step 1 will determine how many racks of tips will be required to load onto the system deck. Each method uses the absolute minimum amount of tips to process the number of samples entered by the user to conserve tips and reduce consumable costs.
Step 3: Set up buffers in reagent reservoirs
Four-column reservoirs are used for the methods to maximize deck space. This prompt depicts the amount and location of reagents relative to the individual reservoir. The volume for each buffer is calculated based on the number of samples being processed.
Step 4: Final checklist for loading all components
This prompt provides a final overview of the deck layout and instructs the user on where to load all other components, including the starting plate, reagent reservoirs, water rinse plate, and final elution plate.
Mag-BIND® Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ 96 Kit
The Mag-BIND® Blood & Tissue DNA HDQ 96 Kit is designed for high-quality genomic DNA purification from a wide variety of sample types. Predefined Microlab NIMBUS 96 methods are available for using this kit to process whole blood, buccal swabs, tail snips, dried blood spots, tissue, and even cultured cells. E-Z 96® Spin-Out Baskets can be used in conjunction with this kit to provide a fast and convenient way to process buccal swabs and dried blood spots in a high throughput fashion.
Sample | Amount | Yield (ug) |
---|---|---|
Saliva | 250 µL | 2.0 |
Whole blood | 250 µL | 6.4 |
Cultured cells (HEK293) | 1 x 106 | 10.6 |

Mag-BIND® Universal Pathogen Kit
The Mag-BIND® Universal Pathogen DNA Kit enables purification of high quality DNA from bacteria (Gram positive and Gram negative), fungal spores, and viral DNA/RNA, along with host genomic DNA from a whole range of samples such as tissues, urine, and feces.
- Inhibitor-free DNA acceptable for various downstream applications
- Ideal for downstream pathogen detection testing
- Pre-filled glass beads in a 96-well Disruptor Plate
Extraction Method | Average Ct | ||
---|---|---|---|
1X | 10X | 100X | |
Microlab NIMBUS 96 | 20.6 | 23.8 | 27.1 |
BioSprint 96 | 20.9 | 24.0 | 27.6 |
Manual extraction | 20.6 | 23.8 | 27.3 |
Real-time PCR with Gram positive-specific bacterial primers performed in triplicate 1X, 10X, and 100X dilutions of DNA isolated using three different extraction methods.

Mag-BIND® Plant DNA DS 96 Kit
The Mag-BIND® Plant DNA DS 96 Kit allows rapid and reliable isolation of high-quality genomic DNA from a variety of plant species containing high amounts of polysaccharides and polyphenols. The system combines the robust lysing power of cationic detergent, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with the rapid response of the Mag-Bind® particles to efficiently purify high-quality DNA.
- No organic extractions
- Robust lysis method to handle diverse plant species
- High yield of DNA suitable for most downstream applications
