@Mark Fitchmun - I have a good bit of experience with BioRad NGC in a 3 tier configuration and AKTA Avant / Pure (New and old). 

One thing that made me really mad was that GE sold each license for Unicorn 6/7 for a lot of money. BioRad's chromelab was freely given by the Biorad reps and we had unlimited licenses for our lab. It does not seem like a big deal, but for our lab it was. I also find it a little weird considering both software packages are nearly identical, utilizing Microsoft MySQL database. 

Anyways, you'll have to consider how you want to purify things. Some people really hate the internal fraction collector on the top level Avants. BioRad should have a new fraction collector model out sometime soon, but their old one is just fine as is the GE Frac-950.

Both companies have been easy enough to deal with, but this can change depending on your sales manager. 

If you tell the sales rep you're evaluating both they usually do their best to give you a good price and/or accessories. 

Given that both pumps are reliable and they can all use the same columns, it is really a user preference. Our NGCs use GE columns ~95% of the time, but for some reason I just like working on the NGC better than an Akta. The NGC also was more intuitive and took less time to master. 

Some labs are really intimidated by the layouts of the higher AKTAs and to you question, NGC does seem to have a greater ease of use. To run an AKTA Avant could take a new user a while to learn. 

What about asking them for a demo unit? they are good about that and you get hands on experience with it.

Hi Gary,

A demo is a good idea. But owning a thing is much different than testing it. That's why I'm looking for input from people who have actual project level experience working with both systems.

Okay, but the demo period can be very long (6 months or more) so you can do projects on it. and then you can get a demo price on the unit if you like it! I am still using an old FPLC and it is extremely durable.

You could go to the below page and then contact the Frazier lab at U. California for their experience (see you tube video on the link page under NGC Testimonial), I am sure someone there (UCal) has also worked with an Akta system. http://www.bio-rad.com/en-us/product/design-your-ngc-system

A long term demo will give you a feel for the problems and how the manufacturer responds. The sales demo should show you the system works. After that, you should have ample opportunity to throw your real scenarios at the instrument. At this stage, it's easy to dismiss annoyances as minor. Once the newness wears off, those annoyances become more important.

Consider how you control the system. Is the software easy to learn for even the advanced features touted by the literature or salesperson? Can you control from a second location or must you remain in front of the instrument? Can you make method changes on the fly? How accessible is your data?

Also be sure to ask detailed questions about after-sale service. Ask for a written estimate of a non-covered repair (failed selector valve, for example).

What are your top considerations in buying a new protein chromatography system?

Nick

Full disclosure: I am the president & founder of Practichem. We make Arista Slice, a browser controlled protein chromatography instrument.

https://www.practichem.com/products/arista

@Mark Fitchmun - I have a good bit of experience with BioRad NGC in a 3 tier configuration and AKTA Avant / Pure (New and old). 

One thing that made me really mad was that GE sold each license for Unicorn 6/7 for a lot of money. BioRad's chromelab was freely given by the Biorad reps and we had unlimited licenses for our lab. It does not seem like a big deal, but for our lab it was. I also find it a little weird considering both software packages are nearly identical, utilizing Microsoft MySQL database. 

Anyways, you'll have to consider how you want to purify things. Some people really hate the internal fraction collector on the top level Avants. BioRad should have a new fraction collector model out sometime soon, but their old one is just fine as is the GE Frac-950.

Both companies have been easy enough to deal with, but this can change depending on your sales manager. 

If you tell the sales rep you're evaluating both they usually do their best to give you a good price and/or accessories. 

Given that both pumps are reliable and they can all use the same columns, it is really a user preference. Our NGCs use GE columns ~95% of the time, but for some reason I just like working on the NGC better than an Akta. The NGC also was more intuitive and took less time to master. 

Some labs are really intimidated by the layouts of the higher AKTAs and to you question, NGC does seem to have a greater ease of use. To run an AKTA Avant could take a new user a while to learn. 

We have been using the NGC over the last 2 years, contact me at my university address (google-able)

Hei Andrey,

We are doubting about the purchase of one of the two equipments. The AKTA (similar performance parameters with the NGC Scout) is much more expensive. Would you advice to buy the NGC?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Mira

Hi there,

do you have any info about the price of this machine?

Matus Misuth, after going between GE and BioRad to acquire a new medium pressure liquid chromatography system, the price of the new NGC is still dependent on your local sales reps. BioRad had a good quote and other addons fo we went with them again. The NGC system is about the same (still very stable), but there are many new addition to the system: fraction collector and Chromelab v6 software. Together these additions make the NGC system more capable, almost like a different system compared to models prior to 2017. Don't forget about the hidden costs of software and maintenance. We now have two 3-tier NGCs that are easily maintained by our group and new users are learning to become independent quickly. Overall we are very happy choosing BioRad NGC and they system has adapted to meet the many diverse needs of our lab.