HTS robotics

The physical inventory of the plates on an HTS robotics system must be synchronized with the plate logistics system to ensure that all physical transactions are tracked and any transformation requests can be directed to the instrumentation via the plate logistics software. Any analytical instrumentation should also be integrated here, because analytical data relates to specific samples in specific plates. The HTS plate reader output files are loaded into the assay data system via software that integrates the HTS reader instrumentation with the operational assay data management system. 

Integration with Compound Storage and HTS Robotics Instrumentation... 

Screen validation phase tests the screening assay in a more production-like environment. For example, the lab bench results are replicated on the HTS robotic system. Critical quality control experiments are performed at this stage in the process. This involves screen rehearsal with a small number of compounds (i.e., a few thousand), thus validating the screening process. Process precision is measured by repeating the mini-screen on a different day. This procedure allows definition of all the quality control parameters. Typical values include the following ... 

A comprehensive listing of all the vendors that offer HTS instrumentation and platforms is beyond the scope of this chapter, but most vendors maintain informative websites and there are three professional organizations that disseminate useful information about automation platforms for HTS on the world wide web, the Society for Biomolecular Sciences (www.sbsonline.com), the Association for Laboratory Automation (www.labautomation.org), and the Laboratory Robotics Interest Group (www.lab-robotics.org). The latter maintains an online forum where vendors and experienced users often provide immediate and useful guidance. 

The next step in complexity and functionality in HTS automation can be defined as the workcell concept, in which several different instruments serving the four main functions are integrated into a relatively dense array on a fixed framework that includes some robotic mechanism for transporting plates from one instrument to... 

The most complex automated systems are used almost exclusively by centralized HTS operations in large pharmaceutical companies and are referred to as ultra HTS (uHTS) platforms. They typically consist of the same four functional instruments, but have the capacity to process several hundred plates per extended workday. They often incorporate a modular design philosophy with multiple duplicate instruments for enhanced capacity that offer some functional redundancy. The mechanism for moving plates from one instrument module to another is often, but not always, a continuous track-way that resembles an industrial assembly line rather than the robotic arm typically used in a workcell system [5-8],... 

A method in which a large number of assays (from thousands to millions) are performed and assessed in a relatively short time period. Typically, these assays are carried out in microplates of at least 96 wells using automated or robotic technologies. Note the rate of at least 100,000 assays per day has been termed Ultra HTS (UHTS). 

However, many recent instruments are still not considered satisfactory, since professional developers in the field of high-throughput screening (HTS) want to use the full performance of the latest generation of robots and computers for automation. This results in new instrumental developments, like the possibility of reading not only 96, but 384 or even 1536 wells plates as well as DNA chips, very rapidly (in a minute or so) and repeatedly without any mechanical failures. Hence, in the eyes of company scientists developing new assays, many present-day instruments still correspond to an intermediate stage of development. For research laboratory scientists, on the other hand, the actual equipment offers excellent performance. 

Early laboratory robots were unreliable, but today, these systems perform quite well. Today s robots simply move plates from one robot-friendly position to another, such as the entrance pad of a plate reader. These simplified movements combined with the low weight of a plate allow engineering to simplify the robot designs. As seen in industrial application of robots, robots that are defined and used for a specific application will work day in and day out quite well. It is always best to keep the automation as simple as possible to get the highest level of performance. This is usually accomplished by minimizing the number of moveable parts associated with the automation. Stackers have also become more reliable. This was due, in part, to the standardization of the microplate by an effort of the Society for Biomolecular Screening (Danbury, CT, U.S.A.) in association with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI, Washington, DC, U.S.A.), but also due to the use of simpler stacker mechanisms. Today, there are many choices for devices, workstations, and fully automated systems. The selection as to which automated devices to purchase for HTS should be driven by a clear set of specifications that define the use of the automation. The choices can be expensive, and therefore, replacement may not be possible, so it is important to choose well. 

The aim of HTS and UHTS is cost effectiveness and speed of compound scanning. Hence, not only does the robotics system have to deliver fast and... 

Drug discovery scientists have already adopted tools such as combinatorial chemistry synthesizers robotic systems for high-throughput screening (HTS) and software... 

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