When Robots Are Good: Fully Automated Thermo LAS Robotic Assay System with Dual FLIPRTETRA and TAP SelecT Robotic Cell Culture System

Abstract

Cell-based assays for identification of biologically active small molecules from chemical libraries are becoming increasingly popular for HTS aimed at a variety of drug targets. Functional assays require good coordination between several independent processes during the run. This article describes our custom designed, fully automated Thermo LAS robotic system with integrated FLIPR TETRA and several additional peripheral elements such as a BioTek ELX washer unit, a PE Evolution pipettor, and PE FlexDrop dispenser. The Thermo LAS robotic control software, Polara, ensures that each and every plate of sensitive cells in a large batch experiences the same procedure as an individual plate assayed in the hands of a scientist. Such robotic systems can process hundreds of plates a day and require large-scale automated support for cell preparation. The TAP SelecT is an automated robotic system that can plate 100– 300 plates of cells per day with defined accuracy and precision. In addition to plating cells, SelecT can also pass and expand cell lines. Here, we present a case study of a GPCR-mediated Ca-flux assay, where this robotic team enables high-throughput logistics even for an extremely sensitive cell-based assay.