Automated Formulation Preparation
The Matrix Maker™ system by Emerald BioSystems is a formulation preparation engine for high-throughput crystallography and formulations labs. It solves the crystallization screen formulation bottleneck by allowing researchers to design and produce any desired reagent kit from up to 60 individual chemical stock solutions. The systems' unique combination of 30 precision syringe pumps each with 9-position valve heads, innovative plumbing and a high-resolution gantry that can accurately deliver chemical stock solutions under sterile conditions to any plasticware well or tube position. The patented design allows the Matrix Maker to handle highly viscous solutions with excellent dispense accuracy. All of the stock solutions are dispensed by positive pressure displacement using precision syringe pumps. The design eliminates aspiration problems and costly plastic tip waste. From start to finish, the robot can produce a formulation matrix of 96 different 1.5 ml cocktail formulations (water, crystallant, salt/additive) in a 96-well plate in 40 minutes or less. The Matrix Maker can be flexibly configured with 15 or 30 pumps allowing for the use of 30 or 60 stock solutions.
The Matrix Maker can be upgraded to include 12 or 24 additional multi-channel Micro-shot nozzles for very small volume dispensing of precious detergents, drug molecules and other ingredients (also see: Matrix-Drop Maker Hybrid).
Hardware Features
- 30 precision syringe pumps with 9-position valve heads
- Precision motion X-, Y-, Z- gantry, for random access stock solution delivery
- 60 stainless steel outlet needles and manifold with 9mm spacing (SBS Standard)
- Sterile path, positive pressure displacement shot dispensing of stock solutions
- Color coded tubing and nut assemblies (waste, water, wash, stock in, stock out)
- 60 clear glass stock solution bottles with quick connect lines
- 30 syringes with Teflon© plungers, 500 microliter volume
- 12 primary deck positions to accommodate plates or tube racks
- Wash station with 96 chimney-type washers for outlet needles
- Aluminum racks to accommodate SBS plasticware, tubes, or crystallization plates
- Barcode tracking
- Sterile liquid paths from stock solution bottle to outlet needle
- Handles stock solutions with high and low viscosity, organic solvents, wide pH ranges and various surface tensions
- Dispense volume accuracy is <2% error for volumes as low as 20 microliters, for both non-viscous and viscous solutions
- Dispense flow rate is 8 ml/min with 500 microliter syringes
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| Large Protein crystal grown using a Precipitant Synergy screen produced on the Matrix Maker. |
The Matrix Maker gantry with it 60 outlet lines and needles allows for flexible dispensation of reagents into a variety of defined plasticware devices and other recipient vessels. |
Software Features
- Fully networkable with Crystal Miner™ database software
- User-friendly design tolls for the creation of new formulation matrices with pH and chemical concentration gradients
- Stock solution definitions
- Plasticware definitions
- Syringe configurations