Is Your Liquid Handler Efficient at Removing Sample?

Abstract

This presentation demonstrates an alternative use for the Artel MVS® Multichannel Verification System. As opposed to measuring the accuracy and precision of a volume transfer into a microtiter plate, the MVS is instead employed to measure the volume of sample left behind after attempting to aspirate off the entire sample from each well of a microplate, i.e., residual volume of sample is measured. Measuring the residual volume remaining after sample aspiration is a direct way for assessing the performance of the sample removal step.

Using one or more aspiration steps to remove reagents and contaminants in wells of a microplate can be an important step in some assays, such as with the removal of ethanol during some DNA purification procedures. In this case, incomplete removal of ethanol likely leads to insufficient elution of the DNA decreasing its overall yield and purity. The experiments discussed herein show the proof-of-concept approach for measuring residual volumes in microplates for volumes as low as 100 nL in a 96-well plate or as low as 30 nL in a 384-well plate.

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