A US provider of automation solutions has produced a technical poster that describes the operation of a high throughput plate and tube sample processing system.
The TTP LabTech's comPOUND storage modules and TekCel's ASM plate storage/retrieval system, developed by the Californian-based Velocity 11, was chosen by Australian Institute Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies to form the core of the Queensland compound Library (QCL) facility.
The QCL facility allows chemists to deposit their samples and natural product extracts into Australia's only purpose-built small molecule repository. Biologists can select screening sets in their preferred microplate format from the unique suite of molecules on offer. The technical poster describes the technical, logistical and intellectual property challenges overcome in establishing the fully integrated compound repository and management system. Using the Velocity11 BioCel automation system the Eskitis Institute based in Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, for cell and molecular therapies meant that an environmentally controlled plate and tube processing system where compound integrity is maintained without compromising flexibility. Using the VWorks software, the Velocity11 BioCel automation system integrates with the TTP Labtech and TekCel sample storage systems to provide the QCL facility with a secure compound management, sample storage format flexibility, processing speed, sample handling accuracy, and space efficiency.
The BioCel automation system has a track record in compound handling. Using high-quality devices placed around a very high-speed 3-axis radial robot the BioCel system in the QCL facility is able to rapidly and securely process tube racks and plates supplied from the storage units. Two VPrep Precision Liquid Handlers allow for simultaneous processing of both septum-sealed tubes and microtitre plates. A Labcyte Echo550 acoustic dispenser provides non-contact, very low volume dispensing capability. To complement the environmental control in the storage units the BioCel was equipped with inert gas shelves on the liquid handler and a PlateLoc thermal plate sealer with integrated inert gas purging to allow plates to be sealed with a protective inert gas layer. Other equipment on the BioCel included a VSpin centrifuge, VCode print and apply station, VStack labware stackers and 1D and 2D barcode scanners.
Velocity11 is an Agilent Technologies company.