Takeda San Diego, Inc.

John W Palan

Laurent Martin

A crystallization system is provided comprising a trial generation station configured to generate crystallization trials in trial zones of a crystallization plate; an imaging station configured to take images of crystallization trials in the crystallization plate; a transport mechanism configured to transport the crystallization plate to the imaging station after generation of the crystallization trials; and a controller including logic for causing the trial generation station to generate the crystallization trials in the crystallization plate, logic for causing the transport mechanism to transport the crystallization plate to the imaging station and logic for causing the imaging station to take images of the crystallization trials.

System for performing crystallization trials

A method is provided for operating a crystallization system comprising identifying a screen storage plate from among the plurality of screen storage plates stored in a screen storage station, each screen storage plate having a plurality of wells that contain a screen solution and at least a portion of the screen storage plates having a selection of screen solutions that is different from the selection of screen solutions held in other screen storage plates; having a transport mechanism transport the identified screen storage plate to a screen replicator; transporting a plurality of crystallization plates to the screen replicators; and having the screen replicator transfer the screen solutions from the identified screen storage plate to the plurality of crystallization plates.

Method for performing crystallization trials

A trial generation station is provided comprising: a deck configured to receive a crystallization plate from a transport mechanism, the crystallization plate including a plurality of trial zones where crystallization trials are generated; and a head configured to be moved relative to the stage, the head including a plurality of primary fluid dispensers, each fluid dispenser being configured to transfer a portion of a mother liquor from the well region of a trial zone to a sample region associated with the trial zone, and one or more secondary fluid dispensers configured to dispense a molecule solution into the sample regions of the wells, the molecule solution including the molecule to be crystallized by the system and at least one of the secondary fluid dispenser being laterally immobilized relative to one or more of the fluid dispensers.

A crystallization system is provided comprising a screen generation station; a screen storage station; including a housing configured to store a plurality of screen storage plates and mechanics for retrieving a selected screen storage plate from among the plurality of screen storage plates for transport to another station a transport mechanism configured to transport a screen storage plate containing the screen solutions generated at the screen generation station to the screen storage station; and a controller.

A method is provided that comprises generating a screen storage plate that contains screen solutions at a screen generation station; employing a transport mechanism to transport the screen storage plate from the screen generation station to a screen storage station; storing the screen storage plate in the screen storage station among a plurality of screen storage plates; having the screen storage station retrieve screen storage plate from among the plurality of screen storage plates stored within the screen storage station; and having a crystallization trial generation station generate crystallization trials in a crystallization plate incorporating the screen in the retrieved screen storage plate; wherein the method is performed in a single automated system.

A crystallization system is provided comprising: a screen replicator configured to transfer screen solutions from wells of a screen storage plate into well regions of multiple crystallization plates; a trial generation station configured to generate crystallization trials in the trial zones of a crystallization plate; a transport mechanism configured to transport crystallization plates from the screen replicator to the trial generation station; and a controller having logic for causing the screen replicator to transfer the screen solutions from the screen storage plate to multiple crystallization plates, logic for causing the transport mechanism to transport the crystallization plates from the screen replicator to the trial generation station and logic for causing the trial generation station to generate crystallization trials in the crystallization plates.

A crystallization system is provided that comprises a screen replicator having a transfer mechanism configured to transfer portions of different screen solutions contained in a screen storage plate to well regions of a crystallization plate; a screen storage station including a housing configured to store a plurality of screen storage plates and mechanics for retrieving a selected screen storage plate from among the plurality of screen storage plates for transport to the screen replicator; a transport mechanism configured to transport a screen storage plate retrieved by the screen storage station to the screen replicator; and a controller including logic for causing the screen storage station to retrieve the selected screen storage plate from among the plurality of screen storage plates, logic for causing the transport mechanism to transport the selected screen storage plate from the screen storage station to the screen replicator, and logic for causing the screen replicator to transfer portions of different screen solutions from the selected screen storage plate to the well regions of the crystallization plate.

Method and system for performing crystallization trials

A method is provided that comprises having a trial generation station generate crystallization trials in a crystallization plate transporting the crystallization plate to an imaging station; and having the imaging station take images of the crystallization trials within 30 minutes of the formation of the crystallization trials; wherein the method is performed in a single automated system.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

John W Palan