Genetix Corporation

James Keith Haslam

Paul Noble

David Elverd

Trevor Ruddock

George Robert Atkinson

John Richard Andrews

Keith Melvin Ebel

Douglas Davies

Sarah Katharine Stephens

A high throughput microarraying or colony picking robot with an automatic mechanism for exchanging pin heads and an automated washing and drying apparatus. The robot allows a dirty pin head to be deposited on the automated washing and drying apparatus for cleaning without use of the xyz-positioner, while spotting or picking can continue by picking up a clean pin head without having to wait for the dirty pin head to be cleaned. In this way, the speed of operation can be increased without any increase in the acceleration or speed of the x-, y- and z-drives. The dead time normally associated with the washing and drying cycle, which is usually several minutes, is therefore eliminated, and replaced with the much shorter dead time, of only a few tens of seconds, needed for changing between heads.

Microarraying process and apparatus

Apparatus for handling biological sample containers comprises a conveyor assembly for conveying containers and a lid handling assembly operable to remove lids from and replace lids onto containers while the containers are in motion on the conveyor assembly. The lid handling assembly comprises a pair of ramps onto which a lid is lifted by a lifting mechanism configured to handle overhanging lids or non-overhanging lids as required. The lid handling assembly may be configured to handle lids of containers of various sizes by altering the ramp spacing. A conveyor assembly comprises a pair of converging rails which carry a pair of jaws operable to carry a container. The convergence of the rails makes the jaws clamp the container so that it is held tightly in position for micro-arraying to be carried out. The conveyor assembly may be adapted to handle different sizes of container by the provision of holders to hold various container types.

Apparatus for and methods of handling biological sample containers

A multiwell plate for microarraying comprising a self-sealing lower membrane and optionally also a self-sealing upper membrane. Spotting is performed by pushing a pin down through the liquid and then on to pierce the self-sealing lower membrane. A slide having an upper spotting surface is arranged under the well plate. The liquid sample forced through the lower membrane by the pin tip can thus be deposited directly onto the spotting surface. The pin is then withdrawn upwards through the lower membrane, which automatically reseals preventing further loss of liquid. The optional resealable upper membrane also prevents loss of sample liquid by evaporation and spillage. By contrast to the prior art, there is the major advantage that the pin head does not have to traverse between the well plate and slide to collect sample liquid, thus dramatically increasing operational speed for an automated microarraying apparatus employing the multiwell plate. Excellent spot reproducibility is also observed.

Liquid dispensing apparatus and method

Apparatus for handling biological sample containers comprises a conveyor assembly for conveying containers and a lid handing assembly operable to remove lids from and replace lids onto containers while the containers are in motion on the conveyor assembly. The lid handling assembly comprises a pair of ramps onto which a lid is lifted by a lifting mechanism configured to handle overhanging lids or non-overhanging lids as required. The lid handling assembly may be configured to handle lids of containers of various sizes by altering the ramp spacing. A conveyor assembly comprises a pair of converging rails which carry a pair of jaws operable to carry a container. The convergence of the rails rakes the jaws clamp the container so that it is held tightly in position for micro-arraying to be cared out. The conveyor assembly may be adapted to handle different sizes of container by the provision of holders to hold various container types.

A pin holder for a microarraying apparatus comprising at least one group of bodies of circular cross-section packed together to form a network of pathways in gaps between the bodies; and an array of pins slidably arranged in the pathways. The pins are held in parallel to each other automatically as a result of the self organized packing of the circular cross-section bodies, which may be spheres, for example ball bearings, or cylindrical, for example needle roller bearings. The pin holder provides for very accurate parallel alignment of the pins, low pin friction, as well as low cost and complexity of manufacture.

Pin holder for a microarraying apparatus

The invention is based on the realization that feedback control for the vertical drive of a pin head becomes unnecessary if one instead prealigns the relative heights of the spotting surface and the well plates such that the pins in the pin head are lowered to the same absolute height both for picking up liquid from the well plates and depositing it onto the spotting surface. By aligning the heights of the well plates and spotting surfaces, the vertical drive of the pin head needs only to be able to reproducibly and accurately arrive at a single lowered position. A pin head can provide this functionality by having a mechanically defined bottom point, obviating the need for a complex and costly feedback control system for height determination of the pins. A simple, low-cost micro-arrayer can thus be provided.

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Dorset, United Kingdom

James Keith Haslam