Automation
manually. SoftLinx easily accommodates the addi- tion of automated plate handling at anytime (Figure 18).
Figure 19: The Access™ laboratory workstation from Labcyte supports the wider application of Echo liquid handlers
Figure 20
CELF™: Logos Biosystems automated cell culture system
solutions for applications such as colony picking, qPCR and automated flow cytometry. Hudson Robotics continues to develop its own suite of benchtop instruments while expanding its suite of SoftLinx interfaces to third party devices. Researchers decide which tools are best for their applications and how advanced the automation needs to be. Turnkey solutions for applications such as automated plate coating, serial dilutions, multiple Elisa assays, Zebrafish and more are available. SoftLinx is the single program that han- dles the first stage of lab automation; simple plate feeding to a device all the way to advanced sys- tem integration of 20+ instruments with advanced error handling and on-the- fly response. Additionally, small labs and novice users can reap some of the benefits of an auto- mated assay without the automation. SoftLinx can track and prompt a user through an applica- tion even when the inde- pendent instruments are operated
36
To support the increasing use of the Echo® liquid handler in diverse application areas, Labcyte (
www.labcyte.com) developed a new robotic plat- form catering to the bench-top research environ- ment without compromising the benefits of automation. The Access™ laboratory workstation combines any Echo liquid handler with a compact, modular robotics platform offering a range of options for complementary devices and acces- sories. With this system researchers can add auto- mated plate loading to a standalone Echo liquid handler, or take it a step further with the integra- tion of devices – all without consuming work- space. The Access workstation also includes Tempo™ automation control software, which instantly adds scheduling power to protocols cre- ated by Echo® software applications. Tempo soft- ware manages plate activity and data in real time, simplifying error recovery. Keeping a focus on diverse applications, Labcyte has already validat- ed a number of configurations for the Access workstation to generate assay-ready plates for compound screening, genomic screening, cell- based assays and more. One example is the con- figuration of an Access workstation combining the Echo liquid handler with the Roche LightCycler® 480 or LightCycler® 1536 to assess gene expres- sion with quantitative PCR (qPCR). Cells can be cultured, lysed with Roche RealTime ready reagents and transferred from 384- or 1536-well acoustically qualified, tissue culture treated microplates, into 96-, 384- or 1536-well PCR plates. In this configuration the Access worksta- tion enables miniaturisation of qPCR experiments and simplification of the entire workflow from cell lysate to qPCR data, for a walk-away high throughput qPCR solution (Figure 19).
CELF™ from Logos Biosystems (www.logosbio. com) is the world’s first automated cell culture sys- tem developed for small- to mid-sized laboratories for automating cell passage, media exchange and image capturing. Within its small dimension of 95cm x 70cm x 80cm, it incorporates all necessary functionalities for effortless, automated cell culture at the touch of a button. Designed for weekend cell
culture, CELF™ includes a CO2 incubator, media/trypsin reservoirs, precise robotic systems, and a biosafety cabinet. Users can set up unique protocols on Friday and come back to newly pas- saged plates on Monday with no weekend work.
Drug Discovery World Winter 2011/12
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