Our 20-year-old Biomek 2000 has finally given up. It had been running flawlessly until recently, when the arm started having issues with Z-axis movement. Initially, a simple restart would temporarily resolve the problem, but now it seems permanent (the arm makes a loud noise and moves all the way down without stopping, nearly touching the work surface). This has put us in a difficult situation, as our workflow involves serial dilutions in 384-well microplates. I had to perform the process manually once for an urgent assay, and my eyes were exhausted after a few lines.
While looking for options, I came across a Biomek 4000 in another city, which I was generously offered for free. It appears to be in excellent condition; possibly never used. I am planning to transport it and set it up, but the computer and software installation CDs are missing.
Unfortunately, since the Biomek 4000 is now considered obsolete, Beckman Coulter is no longer providing any support, including access to the Biomek Software v4.x needed to operate it.
I was wondering whether the older BioWorks software used for the Biomek 2000 could be used to operate the Biomek 4000 platform (even with some bugs), or if anyone might be able to provide some help finding an operating software for Biomek 4000.
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