Core Facilities

Technology

All instruments are run on a consistent schedule which includes the ability to continue assays twenty-four hours a day. Remote access and two network video cameras allow for remote monitoring allowing the seamless completion of all assays as well as troubleshooting.

Robotic Deck

The CSC robotic deck includes a large workstation robot for sample prep and plate design which is integrated with 3 readers and 5 liquid handlers.

Thermo F3 Robotic Arm

This is the largest robotic arm available from Thermo and is named F3 for its capability of carrying loads up to 3 kg. The arm is placed on 3 meter rail with access to end table as well 900 mm reach. It has 6 degrees of freedom with 360 degree range of motion and reliable placement of +/- 0.05 mm. POLARA software allows scheduling of multiple assays using the arm.

Readers

There are 3 readers in the CSC enabling multiple different reads within a single screen. All readers are integrated with the Thermo F3 robotic arm.

Molecular Devices Analyst GT

Multimode reader for absorbance, luminescence, fluorescence intensity, fluorescence polarity, and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET). This is the fastest reader on the deck but has greater assay cost than the other readers. Currently the CSC has filters for rhodamine and GFP.

Molecular Devices ImageXpress

Micro Automated fluorescent microscope with filters for DAPI, FITC, GFP, and TRITC. It has the slowest read time, especially if imaging entire well, but a lower cost per well than the other readers. It is integrated with environmental controls for time course experiments and produces large image files.

TTP Labtech Acumen Explorer

Laser-based (488 nm) fluorescent microplate cytometer enables whole plate reads in 10 minutes regardless of plate type. This has a large field of view and 2 PMTs per scan. Its output is generated as small CSV files and includes algorithms to detect fluorescence above background.

Liquid Handlers

All liquid handlers except the Tecan Freedom EVO 200 are integrated with the Thermo F3 robotic arm.

Tecan Freedom EVO 100

Includes an arm with eight tips, each of which can move independently to construct rearrays of RNAi master plates. Capable of dispensing to 96, 384, and 1536 well plates. The low volume capabilities of this instrument also allow for the dispensing of low volumes of precious reagents without significantly decreasing speed.

Tecan Freedom EVO 200

This all-in-one rearray and plate replication robot also includes an eight tip arm but due to its large size it can accommodate a 384 well head for plate replication as well as a plate manipulator arm for moving plates across its large deck.

PerkinElmer EP3

This a Universal pipetting platform with the unique capability that its 96 well and 384 well heads can be interchanged in thirty seconds without user intervention. This allows for rapid plate replication, whole plate transfers, and reagent additions. Its flexible gripper option allows for plate manipulation on the deck and its pipetting range is from 0.5 to 235 μl. It has a 16 position deck with some positions used for tip wash stations and tip load stations. Reagent auto-fill option is also present. Its strong interface allows for complete flexibility.

Thermo Electron MultiDrop Combis

Two of these instruments are integral for bulk reagent and cell dispensing. They are an excellent combination of robust design and versatility, dispensing 0.5-2500 μl to plates from 6 to 1536 wells and from heights of 5 to 50 mm. 100 μl can be dispensed into a 96 well plate in 10 seconds. They have a new updated design with an LCD interface and are highly robust instruments with low CVs, high precision, and high throughput speeds.

BioTek ELx405 Select UCWVS

This plate washer is specifically designed for cell work. The “low-flow” capability of the instrument washes cells without disturbing their adherence to plates and the ultrasonic washing helps ensure sterile manifolds. Media changes and washes would normally be a bottleneck in the process; this instrument eliminates this bottleneck. It is useful for ELISAs as well, multiple washes are done quickly and easily.