Liquid Handling and Robotics Agenda

Registration

Data Integrated Liquid Handling and Direct Dilution Strategies
Toby Winchester, Application Consultant, Titian Software, United Kingdom

The presentation will discuss the strategies of Titian’s Mosaic software, from integration with standalone instruments to integrated systems such as the Labcyte POD and stores, including the pros and cons of various approaches.

Improving Productivity via Robotic Liquid Handling in Regulated Bioanalysis
Joseph Tweed, Bioanalytical Scientist, Pfizer, United States of America

Development of a fully integrated multiple-assay sample preparation suite for routine regulated bioanalytical portfolio support via the Hamilton STAR robotic liquid handling workstation.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

The Importance of Liquid Handling Details and their Impact on your Assays
John Bradshaw, Senior Product Development Scientist, Artel, United States of America

Automated liquid handlers can be powerful tools when their performance is measured and controlled. This presentation focuses on understanding the behavior of automated liquid handling systems and highlights the need to ensure quality in assays performed with such systems.

Effect of Liquid Handling QC on Biological Assay Performance
Nathaniel Hentz, Assistant Director, North Carolina State University BTEC, United States of America

This presentation will examine liquid handling quality control (QC) tools and how an only slightly improperly calibrated liquid handler can affect the performance of a model biological assay with quite drastic effects.

Technology Spotlight:
Affordable and Effortless Low Volume Reagent Dispensing
Merja Mehto, Product Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Increased throughput and savings in reagent cost through assay miniaturization are drivers of modern pharmaceutical and biotechnology laboratories today. The Thermo Scientific Multidrop Combi nL is a reagent dispenser designed for fast and accurate dispensing of low volumes up to 1536-well plates, helping in achieving these goals. It can be used for dispensing various solutions, such as DMSO, buffers, PCR reaction mix, sequencing reagents, and even cells. Multidrop Combi nL offers flexible features at an affordable price. Due to individually controlled valves, it can dispense into any well with any volume, allowing dispensing of samples into selected wells. As a small sized instrument it easily fits into automation platforms for increased throughput. Small dead volume and accurate low volumes down to 50 nl, combined with extreme ease of use, offer reagent savings and cost effectiveness. The Multidrop Combi nL reagent dispenser is an efficient tool for pharmaceutical and biotechnology laboratories for reproducible and reliable assay results.

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

µL and nL Liquid Handling, From the Bench to the Deck
Hugues Ryckelynck, Researcher, Novartis Pharma AG, Switzerland

Quick implementation of automated liquid handlers: how to dispense accurately and timely in the nL and µL ranges. Examples from the Enzymology and Biophysical Assay group in Novartis/NIBR/ONC Basel.

Utilizing Nanoliter Dispensing as a Solution for Rapid Mechanistic Profiling of Enzyme Inhibitors
Viral Patel, Scientist, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Singapore

A common bottle neck incurred when profiling inhibitors is the laborious pipetting stages that are normally associated in carrying out such experiments. This presentation describes how the utilization of nanolitre dispensing has provided a solution in speeding up the process of profiling these inhibitors.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Enabling Compound Management Capabilities and Workflows through Automation
Richard Kuo, Head, Compound Management, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, United States of America

In my presentation, I will discuss the evolution of our automation from standalone instruments to integrated systems and the importance of synergies between hardware and software systems. Specifically, I hope to illustrate how automation in compound management workflows has allowed NIBR-Emeryville Compound Management to drive organizational improvements in productivity and quality of actionable data.

High Content Screening and Microscopy in Research and Drug Discovery
Rainer Heller, Product Manager, Greiner Bio-One, Germany

The presentation will focus on cell culture assays, illustrating data generated from research projects involving popular methods in cell biology such as siRNA, G-Protein receptor analysis and stem cell research.

Drinks Reception

Moving Laboratory Automation Forward
Joe Liscouski, Executive Director, Institute for Laboratory Automation Inc, United States of America

This presentation will look at what it is going to take to turn lab automation into the dynamic, productive field it should be. We’ll look at education requirements, skills need as we move toward scientific manufacturing, integrated systems and the development of Laboratory Automation Engineering.

Challenges of Designing an Automated Cell Based Assay for Level III Containment
Jeremie Fizet, Researcher, University College London, United Kingdom

Faced with the challenges of assaying human pathogen, we have successfully custom built an automated platform meeting both assay and safety requirement of Category III contaminant.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Automation of Cell Based Assays in Drug Discovery
Paul Held, Applications Laboratory Manager, BioTek Instruments, United States of America

A New Multiplex Microarray Platform with Compact DNA Sequencing Technology as a Novel Tool for Routine Diagnostic Use
Bernhard Ronacher, CSO, Anagnostics Bioanalysis GmbH, Austria

Technology Spotlight:
Using Hudson's New "Guided Operation"(GO) Wizards to Improve Automation Performance for Small Work Cells
Philip Farrelly, President, Hudson Robotics

The GO wizards are a new feature in SoftLinx, Hudson's powerful scheduling software.  The wizard is created to take a user step by step through a complex protocol involving set up and running of liquid handling steps as well as all benchtop instruments required for the protocol including those requiring a "sneaker net" interface.

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Phaseguides: A Paradigm Shift in Microfluidics Filling and Emptying
Paul Vulto, Senior Researcher/Group Leader, Leiden University, Netherlands

Phaseguide technology enables passive routing of liquids in smallest volumina. We demonstrate its potential for RNA extraction, cell sorting and enrichment and massive parallel cell and tissue culturing.

High Precision Flow Control with Pressure Source Allowing Flow Control for Long Period Experiments: The MAESFLO Device
Anne Le Nel, CSO, Fluigent, France

The MAESFLO device is a unique tool to study and control flows in micro-devices. Controlling and monitoring with a high precision and short response time, it is possible to get more precise and reach information on the system.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

A Global Automation Strategy in Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics for PK and PK/PD Sample Preparation
Vicenzo Pucci, Research Fellow, Merck & Co, United Kingdom

Significant improvement in throughput/capacity and at the same time free up time resources for the bioanalyst in discovery bioanalysis with LC-MS/MS has been accomplished by automating many individual bioanalytical tasks such as method development, sample preparation and sample analysis.

Close of Conference