Piezo- and Solenoid Valve-Based Liquid Dispensing for Miniaturized Assays

Abstract

Miniaturization of biological assays requires dispensing liquids in the submicroliter range of volumes. Accuracy and reproducibility of dispensing this range depend on both the dispenser and the receptacle in which the assay is constructed. Miniaturization technologies developed by Aurora Discovery, Inc. (San Diego, CA) include high-density multiwell plates for assay samples and reagent storage, as well as piezo-based and solenoid valve-based liquid dispensers. Some basic principles of small-volume dispensing by jetting are described to provide context for dispenser design and function. Performance of the latest instruments incorporating these dispensing devices is presented.

Comparison of Bioluminescent Kinase Assays Using Substrate Depletion and Product Formation

“…22 Using a Kalypsys pin tool equipped with a 1,536-pin tool, 23 23 nL of compound solution was transferred to the assay plate. One microliter/well Clk4-buffer solution (25 nM Clk4, 25 mM Tris pH 7.5, 10 mM MgCl 2 , 0.5 mM EGTA, 2.5 mM DTT, 0.01% Triton X-100, fi nal concentrations) was then added using the FRD yielding a total kinase reaction volume of 3 μL/well.…”

Dual-fluorophore quantitative high-throughput screen for inhibitors of BRCT–phosphoprotein interaction

“…The assay protocol for confirmation was essentially the same as that described in the qHTS protocol section. A Flying Reagent Dispenser (FRD, Aurora Discovery, presently Beckman-Coulter) [28] was used to dispense reagents into the assay plates. Pin-transfer of 23 nL of compound solution into 3 μL of assay mixture resulted in final compound concentrations between 76 μM and 37 nM.…”

Practical Considerations of Liquid Handling Devices in Drug Discovery

“…The piezoelectric dispenser is a non-contact technology, where solutions are delivered as multiple tiny drops of defined size (Niles and Coassin 2005). This technology has been utilized in contemporary inject printers and refined to be implemented in the biological sciences.…”

“…Various biochemical solutions (DNA, RNA, proteins) and bacterial suspensions have been tested with no negative effects (Schober et al 1993). The system is composed of a capillary tube made of quartz or steel, with one end connected to the reagent reservoir and the other end ending in an orifice from which droplets are ejected (Niles and Coassin 2005). A piezoelectric crystal collar is bound to the capillary, which is filled with solution.…”