Best Practices for Assessing Nanoliter Transfer Performance for Labcyte Echo Liquid Handlers

Abstract

Acoustic  drop ejection (ADE) technology enables  low- nanoliter  transfers  for high-throughput screening applications. Verifying  the absolute transferred volume  and the well-to-well reproducibility of the ADE liquid handler  is important  for quality control,  but there are few methods available  that can quickly and accurately interrogate dispensed volumes  in this range. When the volume verification method  used to assess transfer  performance is not analytically implemented and properly executed, or when it is rushed through due to time constraints, unseen errors may occur in the results which may introduce  a false sense of transfer  performance.

This poster presentation discusses the best practices  for assessing liquid transfer  accuracy  and precision  for the Echo® 555 liquid handler  (Labcyte  Inc.) with the Artel MVS Multichannel Verification System, a standardized volume  verification platform  using a dual-dye  absorbance- based method.  Some of the best practice  topics discussed herein include  test solution preparation, source plate preparation and assay plate reagent mixing.  By following these recommended practices, optimal conditions for measuring the Echo performance can be achieved.  Using the best practices, the measured accuracy and precision of the Echo were below 5% inaccuracy and 5% CV for the transfer volumes of 50 to 300 nL of DMSO solutions.

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