LabAutomation 2006 - SLAS

TP73
Thomas Weierstall
Qiagen Gmbh
Hilden, Germany
thomas.weierstall@qiagen.com
LabAutomation2006
Co-Author(s)
Anja Schultz, QIAGEN GmbH
Martin Heller, QIAGEN Instruments AG
Carola Schade, QIAGEN GmbH
The BioRobot ® Universal System – Multiple Applications on One Instrument
During recent years many researchers in the field of molecular biology have turned from studying individual elements such as DNA
sequences, RNA expression levels, or individual proteins, to a more integrated approach in order to understand the functioning of whole
systems and their reaction to any perturbation. Using a broad range of high-throughput technologies, these studies often involve a global
network of researchers and laboratories contributing to the project. Therefore, standardization of procedures is a pre-requisite to ensure
comparability of data being generated.
We developed an automation solution that allows users to perform a wide range of standardized high-throughput applications using pretested,
optimized protocols on a single platform, the BioRobot Universal System. These protocols include purification of DNA and RNA
from a variety of sample types like cells, tissue, blood, and buccal swabs, as well as RT-PCR and PCR setup. Total RNA can be purified
from up to 192 cell culture samples per run. The efficiency of the purification procedure is demonstrated by linear CT values over a wide
range of starting template amounts. Downstream analysis of replicate samples using quantitative RT-PCR show a %CV of CT values ‹3%,
demonstrating high reproducibility of the purification and reaction setup procedure. The system also allows high-throughput total RNA
purification from tissue, including difficult-to-lyse fatty and fibrous tissues, and from PAXgene blood RNA preparations. Users can easily
switch between applications since no hardware configuration changes are required making the BioRobot Universal System the ideal
solution for performing high-throughput systems biology applications.
TP74
Christian Wendler
Celisca
Rostock, Germany
Christian.Wendler@uni-rostock.de
Co-Author(s)
Arne Allwardt, celisca
Kerstin Thurow, celisca
Fully Automated Catalyst Screening in the Micro Plate Format
The advantages of High Throughput Screening processes of homogeneous catalyst reactions in the micro plate format will be
demonstrated with different examples. Different commercially available catalyst components were combined under equal reaction
conditions. The results were compared regarding different criteria. Particularly reactions with gases, such as carbon monoxide or hydrogen,
have been investigated. The heart of the system, the HPMR 50-96, has the capability, to ensure reactions up to 50 bar while ensuring inert
gas conditions in a standard laboratory environment. Heating and cooling in a range of 0 to 100°C can be realized using Peltier elements.
Mixing of the reaction partners will be provided by a rotating permanent magnet under the reactor with coated stirring discs in the wells of
the micro plate.
The reactor is integrated into a laboratory robot environment based on the SILASTM software environment (Beckman Coulter, USA).
Besides the ORCA robot as a system integrator, a Biomek 2000 system is responsible for a fully automated sample treatment including
filtration and dilution of the samples. An online analysis will be enabled by a combination of GC/FID (Agilent, Germany) and a PAL robot
(CTC, Switzerland). A comfortable software solution for the data interpretation creates concise visualization of the results.
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