Assay Robots

As with automated dilutors, the best place to start in implementing an assay robot is with the needs of the laboratory. A similar process should be followed to define the most important 80% of requirements by talking to end users. The following questions should provide a good start  

a spreadsheet can be created with the answers to the above questions. Using the 80% criteria, requirements should be categorized as in-scope or out-of-scope. Look for opportunities for standardization. A finalized list of selection requirements should be created, reviewed, and approved by end users and laboratory management. 

The next step is to talk to vendors to learn more about how specific systems function. Use cases can be refined with specific system functions in mind. The use cases should address the following questions  

As the laboratory works through the use cases and the above questions to define selection requirement, it should get a good idea of which systems may best meet the requirements. It is recommended at this point to perform some proof-of-concept testing to determine whether the automated assay will produce acceptable results. There is no way to prove this definitively until the system is purchased and installed, but it is possible to test specific parameters such as  

FIGURE 11.8 One possible deck layout for a Tecan ELISA station. 

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NICEATM. NICEATM pre-screen evaluation of the in vitro endocrine disruptor assay (Robotic MCF-7 cell proliferation assay of estrogenic activity), chttp // iccvamniehsnihgov/methods/endodocs/CCiPrescreenEvalpdf>. Accessed November 1, 2006. 

Key words High-throughput screens, HTS, Chemical libraries. Laboratory automation. Automated assays. Robotics, Phosphatase assays. Assay development. Implementation, Enzymes, Alkaline phosphatases. Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP)... 

Once sample dilution has been automated, add an assay robot to further increase throughput and to allow overnight operation. Assay robots are discussed in more detail below. 

As throughput needs increase, add additional independent sample dilutors and assay robots. If needed, evaluate customized systems that may offer higher throughput, but be mindful of the difficulty in validating custom software in a GLP environment. 

There can be a substantial amount of configuration for an assay robot due to the number of equipment drivers and scheduling settings. It may take quite a bit of trial and error to optimize and document these settings, but once this is done the actual programming of assay protocols is usually straightforward. 

As mentioned in a previous section, one of the goals in implementing an assay robot is to make the manual and automated methods as similar as possible. If this is done successfully, then system qualification becomes a fairly simple proposition. As with automated dilutors, it is recommended to compare to a validated manual... 

FIGURE 11.11 An incubation time report from an assay robot. 

Table 11.7 shows a high-level list of project activities for implementing an assay robot. 

TABLE 11.7 High-Level Project Activities for an Assay Robot... 

Automated sample dilutors and assay robots can independently have a beneficial impact on a laboratory s efficiency and throughput. Further improvements can come from integration of the two types of systems and a LIMS. There are many ways of accomplishing this, based on the needs of an individual laboratory however, two general approaches are described ... 

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