Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation RSS feed: Current Issue. JALA is a bimonthly, peer reviewed scientific publication that provides a unique forum for the presentation of method-focused scientific papers, and related news, events and products. JALA readers, reviewers and authors are academic, industry and government researchers, scientists and engineers who conduct research and develop new technologies to increase productivity, elevate experimental data quality, reduce lab process cycle times, or enable experimentation that otherwise would be impossible. JALA is the official journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation ( www.labautomation.org ).http://www.jalajournal.com/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation1535-5535151February 2010 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002378/abstract?rss=yes R. E. Dolle et al. have published the 12th installment of the comprehensive survey series in combinatorial chemistry. Biologically active libraries reported in 2008 are summarized from the areas of proteases, nonproteolytic enzymes, G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), non-GPCRs, and oncolytics/anti-infectives and biological probes. Overall there are 505 libraries and 30 molecular probes extracted from 490 literature citations. Approximately 90% of the citations originated from academic laboratories and approximately 80% of the chemical libraries relied on solution-phase synthesis for their preparation (J. Comb. Chem. 2009, 11, 739–790).Automation Highlights from the LiteratureHilmar Weinmann, Kerstin Thurow10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.005Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Literature Highlights16http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS153555350900210X/abstract?rss=yesTo achieve maximum clinical utility, cell-based assays must produce reliable and reproducible results. To address these issues, we have developed and incorporated two automated systems into the ChemoFx assay (Precision Therapeutics, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA), a cell-based assay used to assess chemosensitivity and resistance of tumor cells to a spectrum of chemotherapeutic agents. An automated liquid-handling system plates cells and prepares and applies chemotherapeutic agents. Separate well-imaging and cell-counting systems quantify cell counts. In addition, we have developed a computerized tool to validate the accuracy of the cell quantification system. We report here that these automated systems improve the accuracy and precision of the ChemoFx assay. These systems also reduce technician time and human-induced variability. We propose that such automated systems could be incorporated into other cell-based assays and would provide increased confidence that such assays could be used to provide clinically useful information.Robotic Liquid Handlers and Semiautomated Cell Quantification Systems Increase Consistency and Reproducibility in High-Throughput, Cell-Based AssayJamie M. Heinzman, Shara D. Rice, L.A. Corkan10.1016/j.jala.2009.08.010Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Original Reports714http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509000240/abstract?rss=yesBlood tests are one of the core processes in the clinical laboratory test field. In hospitals, an automated process called total laboratory automation (TLA), which relies on a set of sophisticated equipment, is normally adopted for the tests. Noting that the TLA system typically has a large footprint and requires a significant amount of power, slim, and easy-to-move blood test equipment is necessary for some specific demands such as emergency rooms or small-size local clinics. Although various portable blood test systems are introduced and popularly used in many labs, the test processes of these systems are not usually flexible. In the present work, a new scheduling algorithm called reduced idle time (RIT) is developed for a small-scale portable Bio Robot platform. The RIT can successfully handle a series of components of the Bio Robot such as a liquid handler, six incubators, a newly developed spectrophotometer, and a robot arm. It also shows an enhanced effectiveness in terms of the testing time reduction when it is tested with the developed robot platform. Additionally, the RIT shows a fairly flexible capability to accommodate new incoming samples that might interrupt an on-going process and requires an immediate rescheduling.Development of an Improved Scheduling Algorithm for Lab Test Operations on a Small-Size Bio Robot PlatformSeung Hoon Shin, Byung June Choi, Sung Moo Ryew, Jung Woo Kim, Dae Shick Kim, Wan Kyun Chung, Hyouk Ryeol Choi, Ja Choon Koo10.1016/j.jala.2009.02.003Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Original Reports1524http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002172/abstract?rss=yesScreening biological readouts in cell culture are increasing in frequency and throughput. In such assays, cell types may be rare and reagents or compounds may be expensive often resulting in a reduced number of conditions and/or replicates. “Tubeless” microfluidics offers a method to reduce this burden, as has been previously shown. In addition the In-Cell Western (ICW) has recently been adapted to microfluidic cultures allowing high throughput analysis of immunocytochemistry in microfluidic channels. Combining automated liquid handling in tubeless microfluidics with the ICW provides rapid and quantitative high throughput cell-based screens. Here, we validate this platform using three parameters: operational robustness (pipetting reliability), cell seeding consistency, and cell staining consistency (both nuclear and antibody). Integration of liquid handling with microfluidics was found to be more than 97% operationally robust. Cell seeding consistency between each microchannel and within each microchannel was found to be within a standard deviation of less than 5% and 6%, respectively. Finally, through optimization of liquid handling steps, uniformity among all the channels was found for both nuclear and antibody staining. These results lay the foundation to perform most standard ICW assays using automated tubeless microfluidics.Automated High-Throughput Microchannel Assays for Cell Biology: Operational Optimization and CharacterizationJohn P. Puccinelli, Xiaojing Su, David J. Beebe10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.002Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Original Reports2532http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002160/abstract?rss=yesProgress in laboratory automation depends not only on automating the physical aspects of scientific experimentation, but also on the intellectual aspects. We present the conceptual design, implementation, and our user-experience of “Adam,” which uses machine intelligence to autonomously investigate the function of genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These investigations involve cycles of hypothesis formation, design of experiments to test these hypotheses, physical execution of the experiments using laboratory automation, and the analysis of the results. The physical execution of the experiments involves growing specific yeast strains in specific media and measuring growth curves. Hundreds of such experiments can be executed daily without human intervention. We believe Adam to be the first machine to have autonomously discovered novel scientific knowledge.An Integrated Laboratory Robotic System for Autonomous Discovery of Gene FunctionAndrew Sparkes, Ross D. King, Wayne Aubrey, Michael Benway, Emma Byrne, Amanda Clare, Maria Liakata, Magdalena Markham, Kenneth E. Whelan, Michael Young, Jem Rowland10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.001Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Original Reports3340http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS153555350900152X/abstract?rss=yesWe evaluated automated nucleic acid (NA) extraction from a variety of different biological specimens using the QIAsymphony SP instrument. QIAsymphony DNA kits were used for DNA purification from human blood and from diverse human and animal tissue specimens. RNA was isolated from human blood stabilized in PAXgene Blood RNA tubes with the QIAsymphony PAXgene Blood RNA kit, and from human colon and bladder carcinoma biopsies using the QIAsymphony RNA kit. Photometric measurement, gel electrophoresis, and LabChip analysis on an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent, Palo Alto, California) showed that the purified NAs were highly pure and intact, and that excellent yields were obtained. The DNA purified from blood and tissues performed well in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis, shown by call rates for the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human 6.0 SNP arrays of >99%. No significant differences were observed when array results of DNA purified either with magnetic particle technology or silica membrane technology were compared. The quality of the DNA allowed accurate allelic discrimination by TaqMan SNP PCR. Gene expression analyses of purified RNA either by “Human Endogenous Control Panel” TaqMan low-density array or on Affymetrix HG U133 plus 2.0 GeneChips revealed high concordance between manually purified samples and those extracted on the QIAsymphony SP.Evaluation of the QIAsymphony SP Workstation for Magnetic Particle–Based Nucleic Acid Purification From Different Sample Types for Demanding Downstream ApplicationsMogens Kruhøffer, Thorsten Voss, Katharina Beller, Mario Scherer, Janina Cramer, Thomas Deutschmann, Cordula Homberg, Martin Schlumpberger, Christian Lenz10.1016/j.jala.2009.07.006Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Original Reports4151http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509001543/abstract?rss=yesThe migratory or proliferative responses mounted by wounded cell monolayers are important to drug discovery and drug safety testing, as well as to basic research across a number of disciplines, including stem-cell biology, cell biology, ophthalmology, endocrinology, microbiology, oncology, and developmental biology. Scratch wounding by mechanical means is the golden standard to achieve an appropriate model system in which to study these cellular reactions. The scratch wounding technique is plagued by wound size irregularity, release of cytosolic contents along the wound edge, and difficulty in scaling up to higher throughput screening. To address these issues, we developed a microfluidic device coupled to a well plate in which wounds were produced enzymatically using highly controlled laminar flow streams. Within the device, epithelial cells were cultivated and exposed to different compounds. Proliferation and migration were characterized by bright-field microscopy. Resulting wound size was highly uniform compared with reported variability of manual scratch wounding. The protocol for wounding was fully automated using customized software, and response to wounding was followed in real time by microscopy.Wound Healing Assays in Well Plate–Coupled Microfluidic Devices with Controlled Parallel FlowCarolyn G. Conant, J. Tanner Nevill, Michael Schwartz, Cristian Ionescu-Zanetti10.1016/j.jala.2009.08.002Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Innovation Briefs5257http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509001555/abstract?rss=yesA Tecan EVO Workstation and Innovadyne Nanodrop II liquid dispenser have been integrated to provide an automated miniaturized cytochrome P450 inhibition assay, using 1536-well plate technology. The Tecan EVO was used to perform larger volume bulk reagent and compound dilution operations along with plate manipulations using the Tecan Robotic Manipulator. All reagent additions to the 1536-well microplates were performed exclusively by the Nanodrop dispenser, which is capable of accurate and precise pipetting at volumes as low as 100nL. Miniaturization from 96- to 1536-well plate formats has enabled a fourfold increase in P450 inhibition assay capacity, while reducing reagent costs by approximately 20-fold.An Automated 1536-Well Microplate Format Cytochrome P450 Inhibition Assay Using a Tecan Freedom EVO Workstation with Integrated Innovadyne Nanodrop II DispenserBrett A. Litten, Robin Smith, Eleanor Banfield10.1016/j.jala.2009.08.003Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Innovation Briefs5864http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509000793/abstract?rss=yesThe HID EVOlution—qPCR/STR Setup System enables automation of DNA quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) setup, normalization of DNA sample, and PCR setup for short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. The HID EVOlution System tracks sample and reagent information and facilitates data transfer of DNA quantification, normalization, and PCR setup for STR analysis steps, eliminating the need for manual processing and repetitive data entry. Instruments for the automated system include a Tecan Freedom EVO 150 robot for liquid handling, the 7500 Real-Time PCR System for DNA quantification, the GeneAmp PCR System 9700 for STR amplification, and the 3130xl Genetic Analyzer for the detection of amplified STR fragments. Validation studies including reproducibility, accuracy, correlation, and contamination studies were performed. Results demonstrated clean liquid-handling capabilities and maintenance of sample integrity. Variation in average allele peak height obtained using automated protocol was similar to that obtained using the manual protocol.The HID EVOlution System for Automation of DNA Quantification and Short Tandem Repeat AnalysisRixun Fang, Jason Yingjie Liu, Heidi L. Kijenski, Jacki Benfield, Ada Wong, Robert Lagacé, Michael J. Cassel, Vivian T. Nguyen, Wendy M. Lauber, Dirk Abeln, Lynda Treat-Clemons, Manohar R. Furtado, Jaiprakash G. Shewale10.1016/j.jala.2009.04.006Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Innovation Briefs6573http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002184/abstract?rss=yes “If the measure of a person is in the positive impact they made in others' lives, then Tony stood ten feet tall.” – Andy ZaayengaA Gentleman and a Scholar: Remembering the Remarkable Tony BeugelsdijkNan Hallock10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.003Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9In Memoriam7482http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002391/abstract?rss=yesFebruary 10 LRIG New England Meeting: Location TBDMeetings and Events10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.007Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Meetings and Events8386http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002718/abstract?rss=yesTable of Contents10.1016/S1535-5535(09)00271-8Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9FrontmatterA2A2http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS153555350900272X/abstract?rss=yesEditorial Board10.1016/S1535-5535(09)00272-XJournal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9FrontmatterA4A4http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002366/abstract?rss=yesCall for Nominations: Introducing The JALA Ten Breakthroughs in InnovationDean Ho10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.004Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9From the Editor-in-ChiefA6A6http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002421/abstract?rss=yes2009: Another Great Year for ALAGregory F. Dummer10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.010Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9From the Executive DirectorA9A10http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS153555350900238X/abstract?rss=yes According to A2 Technologies, its Exoscan hand-held FTIR is now available with diffuse reflectance sampling interface. This new capability extends the system's range of applications. For example, in geoscience, the Exoscan system is analyzing the components of soil, sand, and rock to determine specific composition and origin. In art conservation, the noncontact capability of the diffuse reflectance interface is critical to ensure that highly valuable art is not damaged by the analysis. In the study of composites, the diffuse reflectance interface has proven highly effective in looking at highly IR absorbing carbon fiber-rich sections of cured resin-fiber matrices.World News10.1016/j.jala.2009.10.006Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9World NewsA13A27http://www.jalajournal.com/article/PIIS1535553509002809/abstract?rss=yesJALA Information for Authors10.1016/S1535-5535(09)00280-9Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 15, 1 (2010)2010-02-01Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation2010-02-01151S1535-5535(09)X0007-9Meetings and EventsA31A33