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TTP LabTech’s mosquito can create up to 288 drops per 96-well plate
For a high resolution image contact Clare Russell
Royston, UK – TTP LabTech’s mosquito® has a unique approach to automating
hanging drop protein crystallography set-ups. This increases the chance of
scale-up success as it allows the same technique to be used for both screening
and scale-up, which is particularly beneficial for membrane protein
crystallographers. It is one of the key reasons mosquito has become the first
choice for protein crystallographers along with its accurate positioning,
ability to miniaturise crystallography set-ups (with drop volumes of only 50nl
to 1200nl) and disposable pipettes which guarantee zero-cross contamination of
samples.
Mosquito automates hanging drop plate set-up by aliquoting protein solution from
a single source column to all 96 adhesive-free ‘windows’ on a hanging drop plate
seal. Then, because mosquito pipettes in columns, it is able to take a column of
droplets of solutions from the reservoir plate and place these directly on top
of the protein drops to form a mirror image of the reservoir plate. The seal
containing the mirror image drops is then inverted over the reservoir plate – so
each combined droplet of protein and screen hangs over its corresponding well of
reservoir solution. Complete set-up takes under 2 minutes and it does not
require a wash step or the creation of a duplicate source plate.
Automating drop set-up allows the researcher to screen more conditions using
less sample in a shorter time, with the added advantages of improved accuracy
and repeatability.
Mosquito’s precise linear drives and optical sensors achieve positional accuracy
better than 0.05mm in the X, Y and Z axes. This, along with the tightly
toleranced and relatively short pipette tips, means that drops are placed with a
high degree of accuracy on the flat surface of the plate seal, which gives
excellent optical properties for both manual and automated imaging. Smaller
drops can be used without the worry of protein and screen drops not coinciding.
This accuracy also means mosquito can create several multi-component drops per
well, even in high-density 96-well hanging drop set-ups. This allows up to 288
drop conditions to be created per plate.
Multi-aspirate protocols also enable mosquito to simply automate additive and
seeding set-ups. For protein crystallographers, the “aspirate, aspirate,
dispense” capability allows a combination of solutions to be dispensed
simultaneously – with additional mixing if required – resulting in perfect drop
formation, rapid liquid diffusion and no protein evaporation.
Mosquito applies this same accuracy and speed to setting up sitting drop or
microbatch screens - without requiring reconfiguration or changes to the
instrument head.
ENDS
www.ttplabtech.com/mosquito
Editors’ notes
About TTP LabTech Ltd
Based near Cambridge, UK, TTP LabTech is part of TTP Group plc, one of the
world's most successful technology companies. TTP LabTech’s mission is to
provide practical and innovative solutions in the pharmaceutical and healthcare
industries by combining the best science with first-rate engineering. TTP
LabTech’s products are designed to increase efficiency, effectiveness,
flexibility or overall capability in key biopharmaceutical research processes
including compound storage (comPOUND®), low volume liquid handling (mosquito®)
and fluorescence detection (Acumen eX3).
Date 16 May 2007
Ref 07TTP04
Product enquiries
TTP LabTech Limited
Joby Jenkins +44 (0)1763 262626 Email:
sales@ttplabtech.com
Media enquiries
Alto Marketing Limited
Clare Russell +44 (0)1489 557672 Email:
clarer@alto-marketing.com
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