The Laboratory Robotics Interest Group

Topical Group of the North Jersey
American Chemical Society
September 1997 Meeting

Date:        Wednesday, September 17, 1997
Place:       American Cyanamid, Quakerbridge Road (Route 533 South), Princeton, NJ 08543
Itinerary:  Social Hour & Refreshments - 6:15 to 7:15 PM
                 Presentations and Discussion - 7:15 to 8:45 PM
Pre-Registration: Contact: Sharon Reed, American Cyanamid, PO Box 400, Princeton, NJ 08543
                               E-Mail:  [email protected]
                               Phone: (609) 716-2905
                               Fax: (609) 275-3521

Using A Zymark Robotics System For The Identification Of Agricultural Leads: A "Medium" Throughput Approach
Sharon Reed
Biologist
Crop Protection Discovery
American Cyanamid Agricultural Research Center
Princeton, NJ

With today’s emphasis on high throughput screening, it became necessary at American Cyanamid’s Agricultural Research Center, to re-examine our screening techniques, and develop a strategy that would optimize our lead identification potential. In response to this challenge, we implemented an automated "medium" throughput screen which significantly increased our throughput, while maintaining our ability to use traditional screening methods and targets.

This talk will give an overview of our Zymark system, a description of the challenges we encountered while implementing our automated procedures, and an explanation of how we use it to maximize our in-vivo screening capacity. In addition I will focus briefly on the versatility of our system and how we plan to use it to meet the changing needs of our screening program.

You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks -- Or Can You? Maximizing Assay Capability Of Older Robotic Systems By Incremental Introductions of New Technology To The Screening Laboratory
M. Elizabeth Miller
Sr. Scientist
Agricultural Discovery Dept.
Rohm and Haas Company
Spring House, PA

The Agricultural Discovery Department at Rohm and Haas Company has used a Zymark robotic workcircle to perform fungitoxicity screening in microtiter plates for about 9 years. At the time of delivery in 1988, the system was considered state-of-the-art for handling microplate assays, and was comprised completely of custom-designed stations, as microplate-handling devices were almost unknown in those days. Since then, microplate handling on integrated robotic workcircles has become routine, and a variety of ‘off-the-shelf’ plate handling stations are now available from different vendors, obviating the need for custom stations in many cases. In light of new developments in screening technology, do older integrated robotic systems still have a place in the laboratory? Depending upon the demands on the laboratory, the answer can certainly be yes. We are still using our original workcircle with custom stations, with only some minor upgrades made very recently to the system. In order to accommodate newer assay procedures however, we have added two stand-alone Packard Multiprobe liquid handling workstations to the laboratory, which are used for a variety of reagent additions not manageable on our Zymark system. This combined approach of using an integrated workcircle in concert with stand-alone units has been a very cost-effective way of enhancing our screening capabilities while continuing to make full use of our investment in our original robotic system.

Using New Technology To Make Microtiter Plates Of Pooled Samples
Mark Dembowski
Senior Biologist
Discovery Research, Agricultural Products Group
FMC Corporation
Princeton, NJ

Our objective was to increase the number of samples tested without increasing the handling of materials. By running pooled samples we were able to achieve our goal. A new software package, Packard MPTable (tm), which overcomes current robotic limitations by allowing total control over pipetting sequences and operations, along with instrument optimization parameters, contributed to the program's success. The minimal handling increase allows a higher throughput while not affecting laboratory scheduling. The direct result is an increase in productivity without increasing staff or automation.

Members interested in presenting a poster are encouraged to do so. Please contact any of the LRIG officers. Open career positions at your company may be announced or posted at the meetings.

The LRIG web site is growing! Check us out at https://www.lab-robotics.org
We offer meeting announcements, a message board, and career opportunities. There are also many links to industry related meetings and conferences, automation web sites, newsgroups, manufacturers, consultants, and our members’ companies. Email is becoming very important to us as we try to keep mailing costs down. If you have an email address, please either log on to the web site and leave us a message or send email to [email protected]

Directions to American Cyanamid, Agricultural Research Division, Princeton, NJ

From George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, or Holland Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South (See Turnpike instructions)

From JFK Airport. Exit from airport. Cross over Belt Parkway. Take first right exit feeder road. Keep to left and merge into Belt Parkway West. Follow Parkway to Verrazano Bridge. Take Route 287 to Route 440 to Outerbridge Crossing. Continue on Route 440 to New Jersey Turnpike South (See Turnpike instructions)

From LaGuardia Airport. Exit airport to Grand Central Parkway West to intersection of Interstate 278. Follow 278 to Verrazano Bridge. Take Route 278 to Route 440 to Outerbridge Crossing. Continue on Route 440 to New Jersey Turnpike South. (See Turnpike instructions)

From Newark Airport. Exit airport and follow signs to New Jersey Turnpike South. (See Turnpike instructions)

From the New Jersey Turnpike. Take Turnpike to Exit 9, New Brunswick. Take Route 18 North to Route 1 South, Trenton. Follow Route 1 South for approximately 20 miles. Take exit for Quakerbridge Road/Route 533 South. Entrance is 1/2 mile on the left.

From North via Route 1. Take Route 1 South to Quakerbridge Road/Route 533 South Exit. Entrance is 1/4 mile on left.

From Philadelphia Airport. Exit airport to Route I-95 North. Continue on I-95 North into New Jersey approximately 55 miles to Exit 67 for Route 1 North. Turn right onto Quakerbridge Road/Route 533 South. Entrance is 1/4 mile on left.

By Train to Princeton Junction or Trenton. Take cab to American Cyanamid Company, Route 1 and Quakerbridge Road.

The next meeting is on High Throughput Screening on Wednesday, December 3, 1997 at Novartis Corporation in East Hanover, NJ!

For more information contact:

Hewlett-Packard is pleased to sponsor this mailing and meeting of the Laboratory Robotics Interest Group. Since 1965, HP technology has given the scientific community advances in chemical analysis, such as the electronic-recording integrator, the microprocessor-controlled analytical instrument, the C-terminal protein sequencer, capillary electrochromatography, the digital benchtop gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer and the fused-silica capillary column.

HP understands the benefits that automation can provide and is committed to helping chemists in all fields of scientific endeavor become more productive. We are a pioneer in automation, having introduced the first GC autoinjector in 1969. That same innovative spirit continues today with autosamplers for GC and LC, automated systems for combinatorial chemistry analysis, and the HP 7686 Solution-Phase Synthesizer.

The HP 7686 Solution-Phase Synthesizer automates organic synthesis and cleanup for lead optimization. It can create hundreds of analogs a week in quantities sufficient to meet screening, characterization, and archiving needs. Using the HP synthesizer, medicinal chemists can spend their time investigating more complex or novel chemistries.

For more information about Hewlett-Packard products and services, visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com/go/chem.

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