Lab Automation: Balancing Standardization and CustomizationVendors must deliver innovative solutions to customers with less cash for lab automation.by Bernard Tulsi
The automated robotic head of Tecan's Freedom EVO fits on four different sized platforms-from the entry -level EVO 475 to the larger EVO 100, 150 and 200 models. | Laboratory automation, a turbo-charged mix of technical and organizational solutions, has a track record of multiplying the efficiency and overall productivity of modern R&D. Automated processes optimize instrumentation systems and enhance laboratory protocols, allowing research expanded in scope at greater speed and in less time.
Small wonder then that automation, widely considered essential to much of today's industrial-scale research efforts, constitutes the subject of focus at a number of international meetings and conferences every year. On January 24-28, for instance, the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA) will host one of the premier conferences and exhibitions, LabAutomation2009, in Palm Springs, Calif. This year, the high-caliber presentations will focus on educating participants on several aspects of automation, including detection and separation, micro and nanotechnologies, high-throughput technologies, informatics, and new frontiers for lab automation, such as agriculture and food sciences.
Today, standardization, customization and a drive to cut costs may all be detected in the fast-moving trends around laboratory automation. "Now there is a solid trend towards standardization, which is why Tecan places considerable emphasis on standardized application packages," says Wendy Lauber, director of product management, Biopharma, at Tecan, Mannedorf, Switzerland.
Lauber explains that customers have little interest in devoting their time and resources to developing applications in-house. "As a result, we partner with reagent companies to make standardized applications and eliminate validation time for our customers' laboratories."
At the same time, there is a solid trend towards greater customization, for example, in high-throughput screening or unique sample preparation approaches. In response, companies like Tecan offer open platforms that accommodate and adjust to the unique requirements of customers. "Most of our regional offices and our headquarters in Switzerland have customized solutions groups that work on the ‘one-of' complex systems of our customers," says Lauber.
Tecan places considerable emphasis on laboratory automation and has been first to market with a variety of liquid handling automated products and breakthroughs. In its 25 years in the instrumentation market, liquid handling systems have emerged as Tecan's largest and most important business.
Its liquid handling business is divided into two distinct divisions. The clinical sector focuses on developing validated clinical applications. The biopharma sector specializes in developing open platforms, which are reliable, flexible and scalable to address the needs of a broader customer base: forensics, genomics, cell biology and drug discovery.
In the biopharma area, Tecan's open platform is the modular Freedom EVO, which has four different sizes: the entry-level EVO 475 and the three larger EVO 100, 150 and 200 models.
In November 2008, Tecan released a new 384-Multi Channel Arm Option (MCA384) for the Freedom EVO liquid handling workstation. The MCA384 provides higher productivity to automated liquid handling processes and can be mounted on the Freedom EVO 100, 150 or 200 platforms. While providing higher throughput and more flexibility, the new MCA384 also increases pipetting efficiency and speed.
During a run, the MCA384 head can be quickly swapped to a 96-tip format for plate reformatting or for pipetting into 96-well plates. The head can mount four sets of 96 tips from a box of 384 tips, saving deck space and decreasing the number of tip boxes necessary per run. It can even mount single rows of 24 or columns of 16 tips, utilizing all the tips in a single box; this feature can be used to pipette controls or conduct in-plate serial dilutions.
"This is our most recent product, and it is driven by Freedom EVOware 2.2 for the Freedom EVO robotic platform," says Lauber. Freedom EVOware 2.2 offers greater flexibility, process security and data storage. According to Tecan product literature, it ensures full compatibility with the latest hardware modules while maintaining the same intuitive graphical user interface.
Lauber notes that an additional trend often supersedes standardization and customization, and that's cost. In a reflection of tougher economic times, "lab managers want to spend less for the same level of automation, and products must be built to reflect that reality in the marketplace."
Increasingly cost considerations are playing a larger role in decisions about automation. "At Beckman Coulter, automation is driven by our customers," says Graham Threadgill, director of Life Science Automation, Discovery Products Business Center, Beckman Coulter, Fullerton, Calif.
"We make every effort to understand our customers' assays and the challenges they face. Then we try to figure out how many customers have those needs and challenges and look for opportunities where the assays can be done in high enough volumes so they would merit automation," says Threadgill.
"Then we have to look at the financial impact such automation will have on us and on the customer," he adds. "You can customize almost anything, but the cost has to make practical financial sense."
One of the common misconceptions about automation is that it is driven by throughput. That's not necessarily true—two key considerations are repeatability and day-to-day reliability. Unlike humans, robots rarely make mistakes. Hence, automation produces better results, improved research data quality and greater lab efficiency and productivity, all of which have an impact on cost.
One of the perennial concerns is that laboratory workers will be replaced by automation. "I don't think in reality that is what actually happens," says Threadgill. "In fact, automation frees people up to take on more productive tasks—and the increased efficiency stems from that, not from replacing people with automation."
For example, Beckman Coulter's PARADIGM detection platform has changed how detection is done. It allows users to configure the system in real time in less than five minutes. This revolution in modularity makes no-compromise detection the norm. A broad array of readily changeable detection cartridges enables the user to perform an ever-evolving array of applications. This facilitates doing assays in high-volume change on a regular basis, explains Threadgill.
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments offers a variety of automation tools that include HPLC functions (via the Prominence HPLC system) for automated sample preparation and market specific applications, such as bioethanol analysis. Other automated systems include the AIM-8800 infrared microscope and AIM View software, the AccuSpot system for fractioning separated samples, and automatic pipetting, according to Kevin McLaughlin, Shimadzu's senior marketing communications coordinator, Columbia, Md.
The modular Prominence HPLC system fully automates all processes involved in analysis workflow from startup to shutdown. Once users set the mobile phase and start the system, it recognizes the operating status and executes the analysis, reducing the time a user must generally devote to analysis at startup. Automated procedures include automatic judgment of baseline stabilization, starting and stopping system operation at specified times, and replacement of mobile phase (purge). The system ensures reliability with a function that continuously monitors the operating status, provides problem notification and attempts resolution. Because the Prominence system also incorporates validation functions, inspections and modifications can be performed quickly and simply, reducing the validation cost.
For HPLC analysis of drug-containing bio-samples, such as blood plasma, proteins and other contaminants must first be eliminated through cumbersome pretreatment. This usually involves employing an organic solvent to remove the proteins, followed by centrifugal separation. Manual procedures in pretreatment can also compromise analytical accuracy. As a result, automating these analyses is preferred.
The Prominence 2D HPLC for Bioanalysis, with a unique configuration comprising the MAYI Series pretreatment column and the online dilution flow channel, automatically and seamlessly conducts all processes from sample pretreatment to analysis. This column-switching HPLC provides greater reliability for quantitative analysis because it eliminates manual sample preparation errors or inconsistencies.
The autosampler injects a sample that flows to the MAYI column via a pump. Target analytes can be trapped and concentrated on the MAYI column while proteins are discharged from it. Upon full discharge, the target compounds retained on the trap column are back-flushed to the analytical column for separation by turning the valve position. Detectors for this analysis include UV, MS and MS-MS.
The Prominence HPLC can interface with Groton Biosystems' ARS series of online sampling monitors to form a closed-loop solution for online analysis suitable for bioethanol analysis. Using this approach, ethanol producers may quickly and efficiently measure and optimize enzyme levels in mash with only a few keystrokes. Efficiently monitoring protocols will yield more ethanol and limit the formation of useless by-products.
To be sure, Shimadzu's automated offerings are not limited to its HPLC products. On its AIM-8800 infrared microscope and AIM View software, all operations—sample positioning and centering, as well as aperture setting and focusing—can be conveniently performed on the PC screen.
For the life sciences market, Shimadzu offers the AccuSpot system, which can perform everything from fractioning separated samples to pipetting automatically. In response to market needs for reduced manual work, the AccuSpot was redesigned to analyze synthetic polymers and linked to a high-performance LC. This system automatically fractions a maximum of 384 1-µL samples of separated sample and eliminates the uncertainty associated with manual processing between separation by LC and analysis by MALDI mass spectrometry. It also saves time and improves the efficiency and productivity of a specialized lab staff.
Cell-based approaches are assuming an important role in drug discovery research. The ability to apply automation to cell-based assays can enhance this process. More effective, biological assays are used for simulating what happens in vivo without the use of animal models. The idea is to create an in vitro assay that reflects the relevance of a biological system. Historically, these assays were being done one or a few at a time. Both throughput and ease of use were limited, creating a tedious and time consuming operation, according to Mark Atlas, director of sales at Fluxion.
Fluxion's BioFlux system incorporates well-plate microfluidics technology to mimic in vivo conditions in a well-plate assay setup. Its BioFlux 200 offers added throughput and control for live cell imaging assays. By including a simple software interface, critical steps such as shear flow control, compound addition, image acquisition, and data analysis can be readily automated. The BioFlux system allows experiments to include shear stress changes, automatic cell and reagent addition, automatic compound addition at specified time points, and simultaneous running of a control channel.. Up to 24 individual experiments can be run simultaneously.
In addition, Greiner Bio-One has developed the CELLSTAR AutoFlask, a cell culture flask for automated tissue culture. Developed in collaboration with the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, the flask incorporates numerous design features that will increase the range of possible applications for devices of this kind, as well as the respective robotic system. The external dimensions correspond to ANSI Standards, rendering the flask suitable for use on a wide range of both existing cell culture and liquid handling systems.
For more information, contact:
Mark Atlas, director of sales, Fluxion Biosciences, mark.atlas@fluxionbio.com, 650-241-4740
Graham Threadgill, director of Life Science Automation, Beckman Coulter Inc., via Celeste Speier, Public Relations, 714-993-8955
Wendy Lauber, director of product management, BioPharma, wendy.lauber@tecan.com or +41 44 922 8099
Kevin McLaughlin, Sr. marketing communications coordinator, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, kgmclaughlin@shimadzu.com or 410-381-1227
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