LabAutomation 2006 - SLAS

MP45
Nahid Jetha
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, Canada
nahid@physics.ubc.ca
Small Volume Liquid Transfer Technology
Where Laboratory Technologies Emerge and Merge
Co-Author(s)
Kurtis Guggenheimer
Andre Marziali
University of British Columbia
High reagent costs associated with molecular biology assays are driving trends toward continued volume reduction and parallelization
of assays. The ability to effectively transfer sub-microlitre sample volumes is therefore critical to ultimately reducing assay costs. The
Sub-microlitre Electrostatic Dispenser (which may be used with any multi or single channel pipettor) enables low volume dispensing from
standard syringe pipettors by applying a potential difference between the target microtiter plate and the pipettor needle, thus subjecting the
fluid to an electrostatic force that aids transfer to the plate.
The parallelization of assays is accomplished through the development of the Ferrofluidic Pipettor. The plunger of conventional pipettors
imparts a large frictional force upon aspirating and dispensing of the sample. These forces prevent the advent of a 96 or 384 channel
hand-held pipettor, which if available would increase the ease and efficiency at which technicians perform experiments. By using a ferrofluid
in replace of the plunger, the hindering frictional forces are drastically reduced and in particular become solely a function of viscosity of the
ferrofluid. As a result the advent of a 96 or 384 channel hand-held pipettor becomes plausible at a drastically reduced cost compared to
conventional 96 or 384 channel robotic pipettor systems.
A description of both the Sub-microlitre Electrostatic Dispenser and Ferrofluidic pipettor will be presented.
MP46
Ronny Jopp
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Mainz, Germany
rjopp@jopper.de
Co-Author(s)
Reinhold Schaefer
University of Applied Sciences, Wiesbaden, Germany
Gary Kramer
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Coding Rules for Construction AnIML Technique Definitions and Extensions
Interchanging data between analytical chemistry instruments, computer applications, and databases has long been hampered by multiple,
incompatible data formats. Modern laboratory management concepts such as electronic laboratory notebooks need simple, common
mechanisms for data storage and exchange. In conjunction with ASTM Subcommittee E13.15 on Analytical Data, we are creating
AnIML (Analytical Information Markup Language) based on XML (Extensible Markup Language) to provide a standard interchange and
storage scheme for analytical chemistry data and its associated “scientific metadata.” The basis for AnIML is its core schema capable of
representing any type of data. The AnIML core schema by itself is not useful as a standard, since it provides myriad ways to record data. To
constrain the representation of data in an analytical genre, we have created extensible “Technique Definitions” that describe how data are
customarily represented in that analytical specialty. Where consensus can be achieved, a Technique Definition can be standardized. Other
areas of the Technique Definition where common agreement is elusive can be handled by vendor-or user-defined “Technique Extensions.”
XML-based applications are accommodating of “extra” information, so while the items provided in a Technique Extension may not be useful
to software that doesn’t know about them, their presence does not break anything. To facilitate the development of parsers to handle
AnIML files, it is desirable that creators of technique-specific Technique Definitions and Extensions follow some general coding rules. This
presentation will describe how Technique Definitions and Extensions are built and the general coding rules for their construction
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