LabAutomation 2006 - SLAS

Where Laboratory Technologies Emerge and Merge
11:00 am Monday, January 23, 2006 Track 5: Frontiers Beyond BioPharma Room: Sierra/Ventura
Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel
Mark Collison
Co-Author
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Robert C. Elliott
Decatur, Illinois
collison@admworld.com
J-Kem Scientific, Inc.
Automation of Multi-Tube SPE for Toxin Analysis with Flow and Liquid Level Control
Mycotoxins are of growing concern in the diet. As analytical techniques have lowered detection limits for toxins, regulations have followed
to lower permissible limits. As a result, sophisticated techniques, which often require extensive sample preparation, are often necessary to
reach the required detection limits. Solid phase extraction (SPE) is the method of choice for preparation of toxins for analysis. Mycotoxin
extractions from foods and dietary supplements typically use discrete SPE columns rather than microtiter SPE plates due to the sample
volumes required. This talk describes a custom robotic system developed by J-KEM Scientific for ADM, that automates the solid phase
extraction of toxins for analysis. The key component of the system is an automated SPE vacuum manifold that individually controls the flow
rate and liquid level in 24 SPE columns simultaneously. Maintaining a uniform flow rate for each column and never allowing the SPE resin to
go dry insures reproducible results and automates the most labor intensive aspects of solid phase extraction.
11:30 am Monday, January 23, 2006 Track 5: Frontiers Beyond BioPharma Room: Sierra/Ventura
Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel
Roger Boulton
University of California
Davis, California
rbboulton@ucdavis.edu
The Hilgard Project – Application of Advanced Measurement and Control Systems in
the Teaching and Research Winery at University of California, Davis
Today, world wine production approaches 30 Gigliters and the growing of grapes and making of wine are the highest value-added,
agricultural activities. Teaching and research in Viticulture and Enology have been conducted at the University of California for 125 years,
first at the Berkeley campus and now at Davis. In the last few years, efforts have focused on developing web-based research and teaching
capabilities that increase our ability to share experimental results and data with researchers and winery personnel around the world.
The Hilgard Project incorporates the automation of experimental set-up and execution with the measurement and archiving of data. It
provides the capabilities needed to conduct precisely controlled, easily observed experiments for the scientific assessment of vineyard
and winemaking practices. It also provides an unprecedented ability to evaluate alternative sensors, new technologies and advanced
instrumental methods for the grape and wine industries. One example of capabilities currently in place is the direct monitoring of
fermentation progress by measuring the loss of juice weight due to carbon dioxide evolution. These measurements not only provide
information of fermentation progress, but also allow the use of parameter estimation with mathematical models and the predictions of
future fermentation behavior. The use of such a simple, scalable technology permits its application to both small and large fermentations in
industry and an ability to make comparisons with readily accessible research results.
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