M2-Automation

Premium Microdispensing Instruments

M2-Automation offers microdispensing instruments that deliver unmatched precision and speed, creating highly reproducible picoliter and nanoliter droplets to set new standards.

Along with our 20 years of experience, we provide various Microdispensing Instruments and Microdispensers to help you to create the perfect platform for your Lab-on-a-Chip applications, DNA and protein microarray spotting, biochip functionalization, diagnostic-membrane array printing, and much more.

Our mission: From your first inquiry to the installation of your personalized instrument, we want you to experience the quality of our service and to benefit from our devotion to technical progress and automated solutions.

Low-volume Dispensing

When it comes to achieving consistently excellent dispensing results, overcoming challenges is par for the course. But, when all of the factors and elements involved are considered, organised, controlled and contained within an optimal environment and under optimum conditions, the outcomes can be staggering.

The key elements of low-volume dispensing are the target substrate upon which the samples or liquids are dispensed, the samples or liquids themselves and how they are transferred from the source onto the target. These three elements are something that we at M2-Automation understand exceedingly well. Our team has a deep knowledge of how those elements need to interact in order to attain perfectly accurate results, in the most efficient way possible.

dispensing picoliter droplets vs pipetting enabling assay miniaturization

Why?

the advantages and potential of microdispensing

functional principle of a piezo driven inkjet dispenser using a robotic hand as piezo actuator

How?

how we dispense, print, spot ultra-low volumes

Picoliter micro array in the bottom of a 96 well MTP stripe spotted by a high precision mircodispensing instrument

Where?

targets upon which we can dispense, print, spot

Reliable and reproducable microdispensing of DNA RNA and oligos

What?

liquids can we dispense, print and spot

Microdispensing Technology

One of M2-Automation's core technologies, and part of every Microarray-Spotter setup, is our microdispensing technology. Providing a volume range from picoliter to microliter, it's suited to a variety of applications. Our contact and non-contact dispensers are capable of handling tiny volumes of the most sensitive or very expensive samples, including solutions of all kinds of biomolecules or chemical reagents, and even suspensions of living cells and small, solid particles.

All M2-Automation Instruments support all three microdispensers. Also, switching from one to the other is simple, and it does not require any tools. So there’s no need to buy a second instrument when working with picoliter, nanoliter and low-microliter volumes.

Picoliter

non-contact Piezo-Driven MicroDispenser

contact spotting of a high density array on a glass slide with different sizes of pins using a pin spotter

Picoliter to Nanoliter

contact-based Pin-Driven MicroDispenser

aspiration of liquid into different dispenser capillaries and dispensing multiple nanoliter droplets with a microarrayer

Nanoliter to Microliter

non-contact M2-MicroDispenser

Microdispensing Instruments

The M2-familiy provides four different instruments for your ultra-low liquid-handling applications in the picoliter to microliter volume range. M2-Automation's iTWO, iONE and iZERO cover a very wide range, from small R&D to high-throughput production systems. The ultra-compact iFOUR from our sister company, M2-Instruments, is the latest addition to our family.

All work with the same Software and the same Microdispensers, in order to make the expansion of your processes and projects as easy for you as possible.

iFOUR from M2-Instruments, a precise and fast microarray spotter

iFOUR - Compact Entry Level

compact cube of just 50 cm, offering a working area of 200 x 220 mm

The iTWO provides its users with a broad range of features, ready for any challenge to come.

iTWO - R&D and Academic

the flexible system with a broad range of features

M2-Automation`s Microarray Printer with the most options available.

iONE - Batch Production

ultra-fast, high-precision system for production scale

High-Throughput Microarray Spotting production line

iZERO - In-Line Automated

highly automated, scalable in-line production system

InDot Software

InDot is the unique software package from M2-Automation, created to control all of our instruments and dispensers for a consistent user experience.

It’s an intuitive, innovative and inspiring way to create Dots of samples in any formation and position on substrates.

All in all, this highly flexible, sophisticated and easy-to-use instrument-control software means that users can set up experiments with ease, speed and confidence, every time.

Learn more about InDot software

Sceenshot of the Pattern designer on InDot showing how a microarray spotter is programmed

Cartridge for allergy diagnostics containing 300 different samples spotted with an iONE

Application Examples

M2-Automations microdispensing instruments are used in a very broad range of specific applications all over the world.

We would like to share a few of them with you, in order to provide a rough idea of what is possible when fancy application ideas meet a dedicated team of scientists and engineers.

Read about or application examples

Partners, Clients & References

We use several M2-Automation spotters for our production of protein microarrays. A clean print image and the impressive speed of the iONE series were key factors in our purchasing decisions. The team at M2-Automation are always there when support or help is needed, and we are very glad to work with them and to use their first-class biotech in our own work. We highly recommend them.

Georg Mitterer
COO of Macro Array Diagnostics GmbH, Austria

Looking for a high-precision and continuous-mode spotter, we found the most comprehensive partner for our needs in M2-Automation GmbH and their iONE-1200. Since we have over two decades of experience using different spotting systems, we absolutely can recommend M2-Automation’s instruments and its team for a successful partnership.

Dr. Siegmar Sokolowski
Euroimmun - a PerkinElmer company

Als Hersteller von Blutanalysetechnik sind wir auf präzise und robuste Fertigungstechnologien angewiesen. Mit M2-Automation haben wir einen zuverlässigen deutschen Partner gefunden der uns bei der Qualifizierung des Dispensiersystems sehr entgegenkommend unterstützt hat. Jegliche Sonderwünsche waren problemlos möglich, so dass wir unsere Idealvorstellung kompromissfrei umsetzen konnten. Den schnellen Service von M2-Automation bei nachträglichen Umbauten wissen wir außerdem sehr zu schätzen.

Stefan Frenzel
EKF-diagnostic GmbH, Barleben, Germany

The team at M2-Automation GmbH are always there when help is needed. Whether we need clarification on a specific matter or general support and guidance on how to get the best out of their systems, they actively help us to find the best solutions, and their systems are as fast and solid as their excellent service. Their software is intuitive and easy to use. Infinite operating methods can be created, and the management of samples and washes is completely customisable and very easy to design. Additionally, the sales service involving M24You has also been smooth. All in all, we are very happy with our experience of working with M2-Automation GmbH and with the use of their microdispensing instruments.

Doctor Fabio Galeotti
Humanbiocare (HBC) SRL and Unimore, Italy

Thanks to M2-Automation GmbH and their iTWO-300P microdispensing instrument, we were able to handle the overwhelming increase of requests during the still-ongoing pandemic. Within a couple of weeks, we planned and implemented the integration of the iTWO into our routine production cycles and, as a result, our output numbers were significantly multiplied.

The robust and steady workflow we were able to achieve allowed us to deliver uniform products in good time. Thanks to the excellent technical support provided by the M2-Automation team, we were able to adapt, modify and adjust the system to match our individual needs. The contribution from M2 was the key element in the process we underwent in order to lift our production to the next level, which enabled us to satisfy our customer needs to a much greater degree.

Marco Kaiser
Project Manager at GenExpress, Gesellschaft für Proteindesign mbH, Germany

We selected our spotter system by quality, flexibility and ease of use. M2-Automation was the perfect choice and not only by the instruments they are offering. The M2-Automation Team walks that extra mile for you whenever needed – just excellent!

Dr. Claudia Gärtner
microfluidic ChipShop GmbH, Jena, Germany

M2-Automation dispensing technologies offer high-precision, speed and good reproducibility for glycan and glycopeptide microarray spotting. This is critical for studies of glycan-protein interactions or for mapping of antibodies recognizing glycan or glycopeptide specific binding epitopes. Besides that, M2-Automation offers an outstanding service support team.

Assoc. Prof. Ulrika Westerlind
Umea University, Sweden

The quality, flexibility, wide volume range and ease of software use was our main priority when we chose M2-Automation dispensing technology. The outstanding application and after-sales support show the attitude of the M2 team's commitment. After experiencing other dispensing technologies, M2-Automation technology is the right choice for our research work.

Mr. Dr. Peter Miethe
CEO fzmb GmbH Bad-Langensalza, Germany

UPDATE: 10 YEARS LATER!

The instrument (iTWO-400) was built according to our application requirements after constructive discussions with M2-Automation. Hands on training by M2-Automation specialists was organised at commissioning and after a few months of operation, which was very useful to quickly acquire the necessary skills. The service is impeccable: quick answer to all our questions and suitable suggestions. Ten years later, we are still very happy that we bought our M2 instrument!

Prof. Dr. Ronnie Willaert
Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium

Martin Müller and his entire team at M2-Automation have supported us with excellent solutions during the initial setup of our first production prototypes, all the way long to the implementation of a robust and efficient production facility with minimal maintenance demands. In the initial phase of our collaboration, we benefited most from their enthusiastic passion to identify our specific requirements and the best compromise between perfect technical solutions and a reasonable budget to reach the targets. Over the last years, with a constant production running, their reliable and incredible support, as well as their creative solutions to bridge the sometimes unavoidable waiting times for spare parts, has been of highest value for our company. If we could put "stars" here for professionalism, reliability, technical excellence, and last but not least, a trustful collaboration, it would be 5 of 5 stars and a clear recommendation. M2-Automation GmbH – please carry on like this!

Dr. Volker Heiser
Founder & General Manager of Chipron GmbH Berlin, Germany

M2-Automation saved our robot storage system (from another manufacturer) by providing a 2D imaging system to ensure that the robot does accurate positioning.

Olfert Landt
TIB Molbiol Syntheselabor GmbH Berlin, Germany

INTER-ARRAY® supports customers with an exclusive microarray printing service, from array design to data analysis, providing solutions for multi-parameter assay development and validation for any application in diagnostics and life sciences. For our services, we use high-precision microdispensing equipment from M2-Automation GmbH, which allows us to meet the most demanding requirements of our customers.

Dominik Gary
INTER-ARRAY by fzmb GmbH, Germany