Fully Automated Synthesizers Gone with the Wind

3 Fully Automated Synthesizers (Gone with the Wind) 

Because of the inherent ability of solid-phase synthesis to be integrated and automated, numerous instruments were built from the onset of solid-phase chemistry, and this development culminated after the introduction of combinatorial chemistry methods. Operational simplicity of solid-phase synthesis contributed to the development of multiple solid-phase synthesis, where numerous reaction vessels are handled at the same time. In 1989, Schnorrenberg and Gerhardt introduced the automated multiple synthesis of peptides in parallel fashion. Multiple synthesis in a continuous flow manner was also later reported. 

For continuous peptide synthesis, a multiple automated robotic synthesizer (MARS) was designed and constructed by Selectide Corporation. Its main feature was a timing procedure for handling multiple synthetic tasks that eliminated any unnecessary respite time and kept the robot arm continuously in operation. Polypropylene syringes equipped at the bottom with polypropylene frits served as physically independent reaction vessels. All operations were performed by the robotic arm, which was equipped with a specially designed gripper to hold a syringe and to aspirate and dispense liquid. Typically, the MARS 

Unlike solid-phase organic synthesizers, automated synthesizers for peptide synthesis are commercially available (Advanced ChemTech, Protein Technologies, to name just two old players in this field). The automated solid-phase synthesis of peptides was reviewed in 2002,and then again with aspects of peptidomimetic development. Since the landscape changes frequently, the latest information can always be obtained on the Internet. 

An important application of solid-phase automated synthesis is the production of oligonucleotides via phosphoramidite solid-phase chemistry. Modem instmments work under cost-effective and high-throughput synthesis with 96-well, 384-well, and even 1536-well microplates. The use of automated synthesis of oligonucleotides was reviewed in the nineties.  

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