No abstract

High-throughput crystallography has reached a level of automation where complete computer-assisted robotic crystallization pipelines are capable of cocktail preparation, crystallization plate setup, and inspection and interpretation of results. While mounting of crystal pins, data collection and structure solution are highly automated, crystal harvesting and cryocooling remain formidable challenges towards full automation. To address the final frontier in achieving fully automated high-throughput crystallography, the prototype of an anthropomorphic six-axis universal micromanipulation robot (UMR) has been designed and tested; this UMR is capable of operator-assisted harvesting and cryoquenching of protein crystals as small as 10 mm from a variety of 96-well plates. The UMR is equipped with a versatile tool exchanger providing full operational flexibility. Trypsin crystals harvested and cryoquenched using the UMR have yielded a 1.5 Å structure demonstrating the feasibility of robotic protein crystal harvesting.

The demonstration unit of the Universal Micromanipulation Robot (UMR) capable of semi-autonomous protein crystal harvesting has been tested and evaluated by independent users. We report the status and capabilities of the present unit scheduled for deployment in a high-throughput protein crystallization center. We discuss operational aspects as well as novel features such as micro-crystal handling and drip-cryoprotection, and we extrapolate towards the design of a fully autonomous, integrated system capable of reliable crystal harvesting. The positive to enthusiastic feedback from the participants in an evaluation workshop indicates that genuine demand exists and the effort and resources to develop autonomous protein crystal harvesting robotics are justified.

The LHC (Large Hadron Collider), the accelerator being constructed on the CERN site, involves the operation of more than 8000 superconducting magnets of various current ratings. Essential elements for the powering of these magnets are the HTS current leads. These devices provide the electrical link between the warm cables from/to the power converter and the low temperature superconducting bus bars bringing the current from/to the cryo-magnets. Thus they operate in a temperature range between room temperature and liquid helium temperature. The operation of the LHC will require more than 1000 HTS current leads operating at currents ranging from 600 A to 13000 A. Cryogenic tests of the series of 13000 A and 6000 A HTS current leads are made at ENEA in the framework of a CERN-ENEA collaboration. This report gives an overview of the experimental set-up built in ENEA. The set-up was designed following the typical criterion of a scientific experiment but it was dimensioned to satisfy the schedule of an industrial scale activity, having in mind the large number of components to be tested in a period of less than two years. The related data acquisition system is also described, together with the results of the tests on the current leads. ABSTRACTThe LHC (Large Hadron Collider), the accelerator being constructed on the CERN site, involves the operation of more than 8000 superconducting magnets of various current ratings. Essential elements for the powering of these magnets are the HTS current leads. These devices provide the electrical link between the warm cables from/to the power converter and the low temperature superconducting bus bars bringing the current from/to the cryo-magnets. Thus they operate in a temperature range between room temperature and liquid helium temperature. The operation of the LHC will require more than 1000 HTS current leads operating at currents ranging from 600A to 13000A. Cryogenic tests of the series of 13000A and 6000A HTS current leads are made at ENEA in the framework of a CERN-ENEA collaboration.This report gives an overview of the experimental set-up built in ENEA. The set-up was designed following the typical criterion of a scientific experiment but it was dimensioned to satisfy the schedule of an industrial scale activity, having in mind the large number of components to be tested in a period of less than two years. The related data acquisition system is also described, together with the results of the tests on the current leads.